7 Months After Almost Breaking Joel Embiid’s Ankle, Dangerous Celtics Star Flagged as Big Concern for James Harden by Worried Charles Barkley

Published 04/28/2023, 12:50 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6 of their first-round series to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Hawks proved to be a tough opponent and pulled off a victory against the Celtics in Game 5. However, Boston was able to come together and overcome the obstacle that Trae Young and company presented. The Celtics will now take on the Philadelphia 76ers, in a series that promises to be a thrilling matchup between two of the best teams in the NBA. However, a certain Boston player has heightened Charles Barkley’s worries for James Harden.

Finishing as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers have had a terrific season so far. However, as they get ready for the second round of the playoffs, they face a big defensive challenge. Following an incident that happened during the opening of the 2022-2023 season, Barkley recently revealed a matchup that can bother James Harden and the 76ers.

Charles Barkley reveals his worry for James Harden

The crew of ‘NBA on TNT‘ once again gathered together to analyse the highlights of the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics. Charles Barkley stated that now that Milwaukee Bucks are out of contention, it is surely going to be a terrific series between his Philadelphia 76ers and the mighty Boston Celtics.

He said, “It’s gonna come down to Tobias Harris, Maxie, and James Harden. Those three guys gonna have to play, and couple up them defensively.” He continued, “Who are they going to put on Tatum? Who they gonna put on Brown?”

Ernie Johnson then chimed in with his opinion. He said, “I would say Tobias Harris is going to guard Tatum and then Maxie will probably guard Brown.”

However, Charles Barkley wasn’t too satisfied with Johnson’s response because his Sixers had a looming problem awaiting them. The former 76ers star added, “That’s going to be the problem for my Sixers. First of all, you can’t guard those guys. I mean I like Tobias Harris. He’s not going to stop either one of those guys, but they don’t have a matchup for the other guy. That’s the problem they got… I think James gonna have a tough time with Marcus Smart uh because he’s not getting by people anymore. James not getting by people.”

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Marcus Smart is going to be a challenge for the Philadelphia 76ers to contain. Particularly after what transpired between him and the Sixers icon, Joel Embiid a few months ago. Incidentally, Joel Embiid is out with an injury and can potentially miss the first game of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

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Joel Embiid almost got his ankle broken

On the opening night of the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics faced off, and fans were treated to a heated moment between two veteran rivals: Joel Embiid and Marcus Smart. Embiid attempted to steal the ball from Smart in the third quarter as he went for a rebound. Smart fell to the ground after Embiid grabbed his arm in the process. As Embiid moved away, Smart grabbed his leg, causing Embiid to fall as well. This incident almost broke Embiid’s ankle.

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When Jaylen Brown stepped in and asserted that Embiid was attempting to hurt Smart, the argument immediately spiraled out of control. Officials and other players intervened to diffuse the situation. While Smart was whistled for a technical foul, Embiid was not booked for a foul. This did not sit well with Celtics fans who chanted “F*** Embiid” throughout the arena in response.

The Boston Celtics will play the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday at the TD Garden in Boston.

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Written by:

Ranjitha Ramesh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. With a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ranjitha has a strong foundation in reporting and writing. Her passion for basketball, particularly the Lakers and LeBron James, fuels her desire to delve into the lifestyle and off-court activities of NBA stars.

Edited by:

Satagni Sikder