NBA Playoffs 2023: Sixers’ James Harden caps brilliant performance with game-winner, signs sneakers for Michigan State shooting victim

James Harden followed up two terrible postseason performances with one brilliant one.

Harden hit what proved to be the game-winning 3-pointer from the right corner off a pass from Joel Embiid with 18.2 seconds left in overtime as the 76ers survived a furious comeback from the Celtics with a 116-115 victory in Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center. The series is now tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5 Tuesday in Boston.

Harden, a seven-time NBA All-Star who was traded to the Sixers from the Nets last season, finished with 42 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 turnover, while making 6-of-9 from deep. Newly-minted NBA MVP Joel Embiid added 34 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

“I put the work in so it’s all about being aggressive,” Harden said on ESPN. “It was really do or die.”

After the game, Harden gave Michigan State shooting victim John Hao, 20, his red game sneakers and autographed them. Hao is a survivor of the mass shooting at Michigan State on Feb. 13 that left three students dead and five others injured.

Hao is a huge Harden fan. Harden spoke via FaceTime with him while he was hospitalized and promised him tickets. He watched Harden’s performance from a wheelchair because he’s paralyzed from the waist down, but had a smile on his face after the game.

“I had a special guest in the building, little JH,” Harden said. “He just brought me good vibes, so winning this game was for him.”

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He said he will invite Howe to “every game from here on out.”

It was quite a turnaround for Harden, who looked slow and indecisive and shot poorly in the last two playoff games — both Sixers’ losses. Harden shot a combined 5-of-28 for 28 points in Games 2 and 3, while making a combined 2-of-11 from deep.

But in Game 4 he shot 16-of-23 overall and looked much more aggressive. His floater with 15.9 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 107 and forced overtime.

Then he capped off the night with the game-winner.

“It was supposed to be a dribble hand-off but Jaylen Brown denied me so I just gave Joel space,” Harden said. “Joel made an MVP pass and I shoot that shot every day.”

Now the series is tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5.

“Huge confidence, huge confidence” Harden said of the team’s attitude. “I feel like last game we didn’t play well offensively. Defensively, we played extremely hard but we didn’t get our shots to fall.

“Tonight we did a much better job of spacing the floor, giving guys room to operate and we knocked down some shots.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.