The Philadelphia 76ers’ playoff run came to a close on Sunday afternoon after Jayson Tatum & Co. dominated the hardwood with an emphatic 112-88 victory. Moreover, the Sixers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden came under the scanner after the game over Embiid’s controversial statement during the press conference. However, things further heated up when a veteran NBA analyst trashed Harden on live TV over his performance in Game 7.

The 10x NBA All-Star had an inconsistent series against the Boston Celtics. Even though Harden had two 40-point games in the series, the performances in the rest of the games were underwhelming. The Sixers star dropped only 9 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists in the crucial series decider. Apart from that, The Beard found himself in controversy before the series for his trip to Las Vegas.

After Jayson Tatum, Stephen A. Smith cooks Harden on Live TV

In the exciting series decider on Sunday afternoon, Jayson Tatum had a historic Game 7, breaking Stephen Curry’s record. Tatum recorded 51 points with 13 rebounds and 5 assists. On the other end, the two Sixers stars failed to cease the crucial game as Joel Embiid and James Harden dropped 15 and 9 points, respectively.

However, after the game, ESPN’s senior NBA analyst, Stephen A. Smith, didn’t hold back on Harden. He said, “James Harden was so awful… he should actually shave his beard so he can hide his identity. That’s how bad he was. It was really, really bad.” 

He further claimed that he had worked with the Sixers for 17 years and said, “It is that bad… it would be difficult for him to walk the streets.”

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Celtics star Tatum attracted a lot of fans’ trolls for calling himself one of the best basketball players in the world after their Game 6 win. However, he silenced the trolls with his record-breaking performance on Sunday. 

Embiid throws his teammates under the bus

Joel Embiid addressed the press after the game and expressed his views on the team’s exit from the playoffs. Surprisingly, the star failed to take accountability and blamed his teammates for the loss. He said, “Me and James, we just can’t win alone… It’s going to take more than us.” Following the statement, the duo faced a lot of heat from fans. 

Will Tatum carry forward the momentum against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals? Fans have to wait to witness it as the series starts on Wednesday. 

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What do you make of Stephen A. Smith’s blunt attack on James Harden after the loss? Was Smith too harsh on Harden? Let us know in the comments below.