76ers' Joel Embiid Calls James Harden NBA's 'Best Playmaker' After Win vs. Pacers

Joel Embiid is loving life with his first full season having James Harden as his point guard. It's taken one particular burden off the superstar center's shoulders.

"I feel like, if I wanted to be a playmaker, I could be," he told reporters Saturday. "But I don't need to, because I've got the best playmaker in the league. In the games that he doesn't play, I take on that role and it's fun."

Harden, 33, is having a fantastic season for the surging Sixers, averaging 21.7 points, an NBA-leading 10.8 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 39 percent from three.

That playmaking has helped bolster Embiid's MVP case, as the big man is putting up an NBA-leading 33.5 points per game to go along with averages of 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks.

With that duo leading the way, the Sixers are 48-22, currently second in the Eastern Conference and just two games back of the Milwaukee Bucks (50-20). The race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference has become a three-team affair, with the Boston Celtics (49-23) also in the mix.

So long as Embiid and Harden keep playing at their current levels, however, the Sixers are a major threat.