76ers' James Harden involved in brief altercation outside Las Vegas casino
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As the 76ers prepare for an Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Celtics, one of their stars apparently decided to take a getaway trip.
James Harden was spotted outside of the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas early on Monday morning. According to a video obtained by TMZ Sports, the Philadelphia guard was involved in a short dispute with a man believed to be a member of his crew at about 1:25 a.m. local time.
Harden appeared to lightly hit the man in the face, but the two quickly resolved the conflict and went about their night as normal, per TMZ Sports.
Harden's trip to Las Vegas came less than 48 hours after the Sixers eliminated the Nets with a 96-88 win in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. The sweep of Brooklyn gave Philadelphia players a few extra days off, and the break was extended even more after Atlanta forced a Game 6 against Boston this week.
There is nothing to suggest Harden violated any rules with his trip. According to PhillyVoice, he didn't miss a minute of practice or any team activities throughout the week. The Sixers will have eight full days of rest between Game 4 against the Nets on Saturday and Game 1 against the Celtics on Monday.
This isn't the first time Harden has ruffled feathers with his off-court choices. In December 2020, he was fined $50,000 by the Rockets after a video emerged of him partying at a Houston nightclub without a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harden wasn't at his best in the series against Brooklyn, averaging 17.3 points per game on just 34.3 percent shooting. He also averaged 8.8 assists per game, slightly below his season average of 10.7.
Game 1 of the second-round series between the 76ers and Celtics will take place in Boston on Monday night.
