James Harden was once again dominant in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics. 76ers coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the overtime victory that he used a unique method to provide Harden with some inspiration ahead of the critical matchup.
Rivers revealed that he’d sent Harden an old gospel song called “Do You Know My Name?” in order to motivate him for the clash.
“James Harden was James Harden tonight,” said Rivers in reference to the song’s title.
The 33-year-old scored 42 points, including the game-winning three, and had nine assists and eight rebounds in the 116–115 win.
After the game, Harden confirmed Rivers’s story, hilariously detailing his own account of their conversation on Sunday.
"First time he's ever texted me a song so I want to see how he was feeling."
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2023
James Harden on listening to the song Doc Rivers sent him for motivation ahead of Game 4 🔊#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/CIad9AgOhG
“I’m on the way to the game and I get a text from Doc … I tell my homies, let’s play the song. It’s a seven-minute song, but I let the whole song play, there’s gotta be some kind of good juju in the song, and I guess it worked,” Harden said. “It’s the first time he’s ever texted me a song, so I wanted to see how he was feeling.”
Harden’s huge night evened up the series for Philadelphia at two wins apiece ahead of Game 5 in Boston. He’ll hope to provide another strong offensive performance for his team, potentially spurred on by another intriguing musical selection from the Sixers coach.
