ESPN Analysts Double Down on Controversial James Harden Takes — After Twitter Roasts Them for Being Wrong

Ahmad Austin Jr.May 2nd, 2023, 10:49 am
 

A pair of ESPN analysts became the center of attention on NBA Twitter after Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden proved them wrong with a vintage performance to defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their playoff series.

In response, the analysts merely doubled down.

On Monday’s episode of This Just In, Nick Friedell and Monica McNutt laughed at the idea of Harden carrying the Sixers with Joel Embiid sidelined due to injury.

“For as gaudy as the numbers might be,” McNutt said, “he’s probably going to get dissected – we’ll say – defensively.”

Friedell then began laughing and turned his attention to Max Kellerman, who first brought up the possibility of Harden stepping up in Embiid’s absence.

“Max, what have you seen in the last few years that leads you to believe that James Harden is gonna turn back the clock,” Friedell said, “to a point where, ‘Ah well, Harden can lead the Sixers though this series without Embiid’? What?”

Harden finished the game with a career-high 45 points as the Sixers stunned the Celtics in Boston to take Game 1. Twitter was quick to let Friedell and McNutt know.

Friedell gave credit to Kellerman for his belief in Harden before asking to see that kind of performance more than once from Harden.

“Good call on the Max fact, (Kellerman),” he said on Twitter. “Ha. Let’s see if they can get three more now.”

McNutt elected to call fans “irrational” for calling her out.

“I love fans,” she said on Twitter, “y’all so irrational, that was an insane vintage performance & all credit due, in fact I agreed this was the formula. Series is waaayy more interesting now. However if Joel is out… I stand (by) what I said. Enjoy this tho.”

Watch above via ESPN

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