Joel Embiid Says 76ers' 2-man Game with James Harden Is 'Unstoppable'
The Philadelphia 76ers are looking dominant with the newly acquired James Harden alongside Joel Embiid, and the latter couldn't agree more.
Speaking with reporters after Philadelphia's 125-109 win over the New York Knicks on Sunday, Embiid said the team's two-man game with Harden is "unstoppable" and making life difficult for opposing defenders.
Sunday's contest marked just the second time Embiid and Harden have taken the floor together. Harden made his debut Friday in a 133-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Against the Timberwolves, the duo combined for 61 points. They were even better against the Knicks, combining for 66 points. Embiid finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, while Harden had 29 points, 10 rebounds, 16 assists and five steals Sunday.
This is the second time Embiid has praised Harden over the last few days. Following the Sixers' win over the Timberwolves, the veteran big man said playing with Harden has helped him be the "most wide-open" in his career thus far.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers also praised the All-Star point guard during Sunday's post-game press conference:
"“Just his way of figuring out. He did a little bit of everything. The biggest thing was the steals, he had his hands everywhere, but I thought offensively, because they’re (the Knicks) a pretty solid defensive team, they made us really think and figure things out on the fly. I thought James did a great job of orchestrating where guys should be.”"
Having Harden in the lineup makes a world of difference for Embiid. When former Sixer Ben Simmons was running the offense, Embiid was often tasked with doing the heavy lifting scoring-wise. Now, the workload is distributed more evenly, and Harden is making life easier for others around him, too.
Tyrese Maxey finished Sunday's game with 21 points, and that's because Harden does a tremendous job of opening up the floor for his teammates. Maxey and fellow starters Matisse Thybulle and Tobias Harris are also getting better looks because so much focus is on defending Harden and Embiid.
With Sunday's win, the Sixers improved to 37-23 on the season. They are now just 2.5 games behind the Miami Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference.
