As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to make a playoff push in April, they continue to monitor and manage the bothersome left hamstring of All-Star guard James Harden.
Harden, who was acquired by Philadelphia on Feb. 10, needed two weeks to gear up to make his debut due to the hamstring problem, which dates back to late January. Harden first played in a 76ers uniform on Feb. 25 after resting during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Since making his Sixers debut, Harden has averaged 38.0 minutes per game but was held out of a March 5 visit to face the Heat to manage his left hamstring on the second end of a back-to-back.
With the Eastern Conference playoff picture continuously evolving, will Harden suit up to face the first-place Heat on Monday, March 21?
NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Harden will be out on Monday for injury recovery of his left hamstring. All-Star center Joel Embiid will join Harden on the inactive list.
76ers‘ James Harden (injury recovery, left hamstring) and Joel Embiid will be out tonight vs. Miami on second end of back-to-back.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 21, 2022
Harden will sit after seeing nearly 38 minutes of action in a loss to the Raptors on Sunday, March 20.
MORE: NBA standings, seeding scenarios, breakdown ahead of 2022 Playoffs, Play-In Tournament
Monday marks the sixth game that Harden will miss since being acquired by the Sixers, two of which have come against the Heat on the second end of a back-to-back. Philadelphia is 3-2 in Harden's absence, with losses coming to Boston and Miami.
Over 11 games with the Sixers, Harden is averaging 22.4 points, 10.5 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game.
What channel is 76ers vs. Heat on?
- TV channel (Philadelphia): NBC Sports Philadelphia
- TV channel (Miami): Bally Sports Sun
- Streaming (USA): NBA League Pass
- Streaming (Canada): SN Now
Viewers in the Philadelphia area can watch 76ers vs. Heat on NBC Sports Philadelphia. In Miami, viewers can watch 76ers vs. Heat on Bally Sports Sun. Viewers in the United States outside of the local regions of the 76ers and Heat can watch the game on NBA League Pass.
NBA Mock Draft 2022: Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith headline list of prospects in March Madness
In Canada, viewers can stream 76ers vs. Heat on SN Now.
76ers vs. Heat start time
- Date: Monday, March 21
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | 4:30 p.m. PT
76ers vs. Heat is set for Monday, March 21 at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The game will tip-off shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET.
76ers schedule 2021-22
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| March 21 | vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 23 | at Lakers | 10:00 p.m. |
| March 25 | at Clippers | 10:30 p.m. |
| March 27 | at Suns | 6 p.m. |
| March 29 | vs. Bucks | 7 p.m. |
| March 31 | at Pistons | 7 p.m. |
| April 2 | vs. Hornets | 12:30 p.m. |
| April 3 | at Cavaliers | 6 p.m. |
| April 5 | at Pacers | 7 p.m. |
| April 7 | at Raptors | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 9 | vs. Pacers | TBA |
| April 10 | vs. Pistons | TBA |
James Harden has been dealing with a hamstring injury since being acquired by the 76ers at the trade deadline.
Harden missed the team's first four games following the blockbuster deal with a left hamstring injury, which also sidelined him for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. While he's appeared in 11 games since he's sat out an additional two games due to injury recovery.
Having missed Philadelphia's last game, will Harden play on Wednesday vs. Lakers?
NBA LEAGUE PASS: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial)
As of 8:30 a.m., Harden is not listed on the NBA's official injury report for Wednesday's game against the Lakers.
Originally, Harden wasn't on Philadelphia's injury report for its matchup with Miami on Monday, but the 10-time All-Star was later ruled with left hamstring injury recovery.
Before the game, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said "we're just being careful" with Harden.
Over 11 games with the Sixers, Harden is averaging 22.4 points, 10.5 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game.
What channel is 76ers vs. Lakers on?
- TV channel (Philadelphia): NBC Sports Philadelphia
- TV channel (Los Angeles): Spectrum SportsNet
- TV channel (USA): ESPN
- TV channel (Canada): SN 360
- Streaming (USA): Watch ESPN | Sling TV
In Philadelphia, viewers can watch 76ers vs. Lakers on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Viewers in the Los Angeles area can watch 76ers vs. Lakers on Spectrum SportsNet.
Viewers in the United States outside of Los Angeles and Philadelphia can watch the game on ESPN. It can also be streamed on Watch ESPN or Sling TV, which offers a free three-day trial.
MORE: Watch NBA games live with Sling TV (3-day free trial)
In Canada, the game will be broadcast on SN 360.
76ers vs. Lakers start time
- Date: Wednesday, March 23
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET | 7:00 p.m. PT
76ers vs. Lakers is set for Wednesday, March 23 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game will tip-off shortly after 10:00 p.m. ET.
76ers schedule 2021-22
According to Tankathon, the 76ers have the league's seventh-easiest remaining schedule.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| March 23 | at Lakers | 10:00 p.m. |
| March 25 | at Clippers | 10:30 p.m. |
| March 27 | at Suns | 6 p.m. |
| March 29 | vs. Bucks | 7 p.m. |
| March 31 | at Pistons | 7 p.m. |
| April 2 | vs. Hornets | 12:30 p.m. |
| April 3 | at Cavaliers | 6 p.m. |
| April 5 | at Pacers | 7 p.m. |
| April 7 | at Raptors | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 9 | vs. Pacers | TBA |
| April 10 | vs. Pistons | TBA |
Copyright © 2022 Sporting News Holdings Limited.
All rights reserved.
When the Philadelphia 76ers decided to go all in at the NBA trade deadline for James Harden, fans couldn’t wait to see what he and Joel Embiid would look like on the court as teammates. Well, they’re going to have to wait a bit longer than they expected. Harden hasn’t suited up for the Sixers since moving over from the Brooklyn Nets. So, why isn’t the newest Philadelphia star playing yet, and when is he expected to make his 76ers debut? The 76ers made the biggest splash at the NBA trade deadline by sending Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Harden and Paul Millsap. The move was a long time coming, but Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey finally made it happen just a few hours before the deadline clock struck zero. Seeing as Harden and Embiid make up an enthralling offensive duo on the court, Philly fans immediately became excited to watch their new-look squad in action. But the 76ers have played three games since making the trade, and Harden hasn’t played in any of them due to his lingering hamstring injury. He will also sit out Thursday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks as a precaution. The 76ers announced earlier this week that Harden will be out until after the All-Star break, but fans shouldn’t be worried about his hamstring as a long-term issue.
“Hamstring feels really good. My conditioning is great. But it’s nothing like basketball condition”-James Harden Why isn’t James Harden playing for the 76ers?
The 76ers are being careful with Harden’s injured hamstring
James and the Sixers want to get the hamstring 100% right and he should make debut shortly after All-Star break pic.twitter.com/QXLp8v0Xfz
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 15, 2022Harden didn’t play in his last four games with Brooklyn due to his hamstring injury, so the 76ers don’t want to rush him back too early and risk making it worse. In his introductory press conference with the team earlier this week, though, Harden said he’s progressing well with his recovery.
“The hamstring feels really good,” Harden said. “Just doing a lot of strengthening work right now. It definitely was a collaborative decision on after the break making sure we’re a full-go. Like uphill is the only way we can go.”
“My conditioning is great,” he continued. “I have been doing a lot of running, a lot of sprints, a lot of treadmill work, strength and conditioning, but it’s nothing like basketball conditioning. Playing in five-on-fives, and pick-and-roll, and getting hit like that so that’s something I gotta incorporate. But overall, my body feels great.”
Harden has been on the practice court with his new teammates over the last few days, so he would most likely be playing by now if these were must-win games. But there’s no reason to force him back on the court until he’s 100% ready to go.
When will Harden make his Sixers debut?
Considering Harden is working out every day and running drills with the team, there’s no reason for Sixers fans to panic about his current injury. It’s likely the future Hall of Famer will suit up for the first time on Friday, February 25 when Philadelphia returns from the All-Star break to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Harden’s home debut should come on March 2 against the New York Knicks. Get your tickets now, Sixers fans, because they’re going to sell out quickly once the official announcement comes.
Like Sportscasting on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @sportscasting19.
RELATED: James Harden May Have Unsurprisingly Lied to Force a Trade From the Nets: ‘For Sure That Was a Topic of Conversation’