Reports: Sixers' James Harden (foot) to miss 1 month

James Harden is averaging 22.0 ppg this season for the 76ers.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden is expected to miss about a month because of a right foot tendon strain, a person with knowledge of the Philadelphia 76ers star’s injury said Thursday.

Harden was injured during the Sixers’ loss at Washington on Wednesday, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the injury had not yet been revealed publicly.

The Sixers — 4-5 to start the season — will turn again to Joel Embiid to carry a massive load for an undermanned team. Embiid played at an MVP-level throughout last season. Much more on guard Tyrese Maxey too, who has shown star potential. https://t.co/dwwshXo7gz

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 3, 2022

A league source confirmed #Sixers point guard James Harden has suffered right foot tendon strain and could be out a month. @wojespn was first to report the news.

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) November 3, 2022

Harden stumbled on a drive to the basket early in the game and remained on his back in pain before he got up and returned to the game. Harden still scored 24 points.

The Sixers are 4-5 heading into Friday’s home game against the New York Knicks.

The Sixers have already been hampered this season playing games without NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid because of illness. Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid has the flu and has not been around the team in recent days to avoid spreading it around the locker room. Embiid, who has averaged 27.2 points and 9.5 rebounds in six games, missed Monday night’s game in Washington for the same reason.

The 33-year-old Harden averaged 22 points and 10 assists in the first nine games of the season. Harden, the 2018 MVP, had seemingly recovered from lingering tightness in his left hamstring last season that decimated his explosiveness and forced him into what he called “tough times, lot of dark moments” in his personal life during the recovery.

The Sixers play six of their next seven games at home, including what could still be an anticipated Nov. 22 game at the Wells Fargo Center that would seen Harden go against his old Brooklyn team and the player he was traded for, Ben Simmons.

Philadelphia’s upcoming schedule:

Knicks, Suns, Hawks (twice), Jazz, Bucks, Wolves, Nets

Then an Atlanta-Cleveland-Memphis stretch at the end of the month

Difficult part of the schedule to navigate without James Harden’s services, to say the least.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 3, 2022

In Harden’s 2017-18 MVP season, he joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season. He led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four and led the Rockets to an NBA-best 65 wins.

The seven-time All-NBA player was also named last year to the league’s 75th anniversary team.

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