As the 2022-2023 NBA season begins, the rivalry between fans and players resumes once again. The season opened with the Boston Celtics defeating the Philadelphia 76ers. James Harden offered the audience a spectacular highlight moment during the second quarter of the game, but it didn’t go as planned for the 10-time All-Star.

The Celtics defeated the 76ers by a scoreline of 126-117 in the season opener at the TD Gardens. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart were the key performers for the Celtics. And from the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey were leading from the front. Harden finished with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in 37 minutes on the floor.

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Jayson Tatum finished with 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists in 39 minutes. He was arguably the star performer for the Boston Celtics.

James Harden has an embarrassing moment after missing the highlight shot

In the second quarter, James Harden and Marcus Smart came face to face, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. Harden’s swift dribbling caused Smart to lose control and tumble across the court. Smart was appealing for a foul. Fans called it a “nasty” move, with Harden left standing just beyond the three-point line.

Harden took his moment, jiggled his shoulders, and took the shot with all eyes on him. His shot ended up hitting the backboard, leaving fans in splits online. Furthermore, NBA Central posted a video on Twitter of the incident with the caption:?“Harden thought he had the highlight.”??

Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:

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https://twitter.com/HatingPublicly/status/1582531742300508160?s=20&t=hpQMfO6uAoJgBDHGFwkhwA

Both Celtics and 76ers fans seemed to laugh at the moment. The post has more than 12,000 likes and 1,000 retweets filled with comments. Despite his overall performance, Harden could not lead his team to victory.

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It was certainly a good thing for Marcus Smart that the shot didn’t go in. If it had, the internet likely would have had its say on him instead.

What did you think of James Harden’s shot attempt? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.