James Harden out for a month with injury in 76ers blow

Things are going so poorly for the Nets, even former Nets are feeling the pain.

James Harden has suffered a right foot tendon strain and is expected to miss a month, ESPN first reported Thursday, on the eve of the 76ers hosting the Knicks.

Harden went down Wednesday in Philadelphia’s loss to the Wizards, though he returned to the court after walking to the locker room with trainers (and with one sneaker on). In all, Harden played 35 minutes in the game, some of which apparently came with a foot strain that was not revealed until tests on Thursday.

The lefty point guard had gotten off to a strong start this season, averaging 22 points (on 44.1 percent shooting), 10 assists and seven rebounds in nine games.

He struggled last season after the blockbuster deadline trade, in which he was flipped for Ben Simmons, but has stuck with the 76ers, who locked him in for a two-year, discount deal this offseason.

For a second straight season, the 76ers will rely on Joel Embiid to carry the team for a long stretch, which begins with the Knicks on Friday and includes a matchup with Brooklyn on Nov. 22.

The Nets will not see Harden, but who knows what kind of Brooklyn team the 76ers will face off against. Kyrie Irving is in the middle of a controversy in which he shared a movie that contains anti-Semitic tropes, and Simmons, who has been a nonfactor so far, will miss at least two more games with left knee soreness.