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<\/a><\/p>\n(Reuters) – The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road to Boston with “huge confidence” this week after winning Game 4 116-115 against the Celtics on Sunday to level their conference semi-final series courtesy of another clutch three-pointer from James Harden. <\/p>\n
The 10-times NBA All-Star pushed the game into overtime with a floating jump shot and sealed it with 18 seconds left in overtime with a 24-foot jumper off an assist from newly minted MVP Joel Embiid. <\/p>\n
“I put the work in so it’s all about being aggressive,” said Harden, who produced 42 points – just shy of his career playoff high 45 – with eight rebounds and nine assists. “Tonight was really do or die.”<\/p>\n
The game was a much-needed injection of confidence, Harden said in a televised interview after the game, after a pair of demoralizing losses with Embiid battling through a sprained right knee. <\/p>\n
“Huge confidence, huge confidence. I felt like last game, we didn’t play well offensively – defensively we played extremely hard but we didn\u2019t get our shots to fall,” said Harden. <\/p>\n
“Tonight we did a much better job of spacing the floor, giving guys room to operate.”<\/p>\n
He had added motivation with a special invited guest at courtside: John Hao, a Harden super-fan and student at Michigan State who was paralyzed in a campus shooting earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Harden, who spoke to Hao while he was hospitalized and previously pledged to help pay his medical bills, took off his shoes after the game and signed them for Hao.<\/p>\n
“He just gave me good luck – he brought me good vibes, good energy,” said Harden, adding he would invite Hao “every game – here on out.”<\/p>\n
The Sixers face the Celtics in Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\n(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)<\/p>\n
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