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PHILADELPHIA -- Through the first four games of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, one thing has held true. When James Harden has played well, the Sixers have walked away with wins, and when he hasn't, they haven't. 

In the first game of the series without NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Harden tied a playoff career high with 45 points and almost singlehandedly propelled the Sixers to a 119-115 victory. It was an invigorating performance that showed he's still capable of scoring at an elite level. But, he followed that masterclass up with two consecutive subpar performances. In Games 2 and 3, Harden shot just 5 of 28 combined from the floor and scored 28 total points. Philadelphia dropped both of those games by a combined 46 points.

Then, in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon, with the Sixers down 2-1 in the series and facing ample pressure -- both collectively and individually -- Harden turned in another epic performance. He scored 42 points to go along with nine assists and eight rebounds. He also got after it on the defensive end, as evidenced by his four steals, all of which came at opportune times for Philadelphia. He made clutch play after clutch play for the Sixers, and he was the main catalyst for their thrilling 116-115 overtime victory that evened the series up at two games apiece. 

Harden's point production in Game 4 included the game-tying floater that sent the game into overtime, as well as the game-winning 3-pointer from the corner in overtime after the Celtics left him open in order to double team Joel Embiid in the paint. 

Harden's complete dominance in the first and fourth games of the series make his lackadaisical performances in Games 2 and 3 all the more confounding. The shots aren't always going to fall, but both of those performances were highlighted by a general lack of aggression on Harden's part. He took more shots in both Game 1 and Game 4 than he did in the second and third games combined. 

When asked about the variance in his performance in the series after Game 4, Harden emphasized that the on-court outcome isn't the result of any wavering motivation. 

"I'm always motivated and fired up. It's just that things don't work out how I want them to sometimes," Harden said. "It's a part of it. I'm a competitor. I always want to win, I always want to be aggressive, and I always want to do things to contribute to winning. That's just me. There's no days off with that. There's no turning it on and turning it off with that. Whether I have 40-something or 18 points, I always want to win the game. It's simple." 

The fact that the Sixers won the two games where Harden was ultra aggressive and dropped the two that he wasn't isn't a coincidence. With Embiid playing through a knee injury and the Celtics committing a ton of attention to him, Harden's aggression is a big boon for Philadelphia. It provides them with a consistent secondary scorer, and in turn opens things up for everyone else by drawing in Boston's defense, like he does here for P.J. Tucker: 

Tucker didn't convert on that specific play, but the open opportunity was generated by Harden being aggressive and forcing Celtics guard Marcus Smart to pinch in off the corner. It's not necessarily the massive point totals that the Sixers need from Harden, though they certainly help. Mainly, it's the attacking mindset that puts the defense on its' heels and generates ample open opportunities. Harden can have that type of impact on a game even when his shot isn't falling. 

"That's what he needs to do every night," Embiid said of Harden after Game 4. "Not think about anything. Obviously, we got some great teammates that can do a lot of things, but like I said the other night, doesn't matter what is going on, players got to show up. ... He did it [in Game 4] and he needs to do it every night. It's not about taking a lot of shots, it's just about being aggressive, attacking the rim, finding guys and he was fantastic."

Harden has been a bellwether for the 76ers in the series against the Celtics. When things have gone well for Harden, they've gone well for Philly, too. So now, moving forward in what has become a best-of-three series, Harden's continued aggression is imperative for success for Philadelphia. They simply can't afford another performance like in Game 3 when Harden's passivity became a major storyline. 

While speaking with media members after the game on Sunday, Doc Rivers revealed that he had sent Harden a gospel song entitled 'You Know My Name?' to listen to before his Game 4 explosion, and the star guard admitted that he listened to it in its' entirety. 

"It's a seven-minute song, but I let the whole song play," Harden said. "I was like, 'All right, there's got to be some kind of good juju in this song, or however he's feeling, I want to feel like that.' And I guess it worked."

Given the way Harden performed in Game 4, perhaps Rivers should select a few more fitting gospel songs to send to his star guard before the remaining games in the series.