Published by
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
NEW YORK — There was just over a minute left, and the home half of the Madison Square Garden crowd had ceded its ground. As James Harden gathered in the errant shot on the baseline, the building swelled with applause. Later, the Sixers’ newest superstar would shrug off the triple-double with the casual air of a man who had already logged 67 of them in his career. But for the thousands of Philadelphians who’d traveled north to get their first glimpse of Harden in a Sixers uniform three days ahead of his home debut, the moment meant something. It wasn’t just a milestone. It was a confirmation. “…