James Harden Drops 44 as Rockets Hand Joel Embiid, 76ers 4th Straight Loss

The Houston Rockets extended the Philadelphia 76ers' losing streak to four games with a 118-108 victory Friday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who've both averaged over 23 points against the Sixers during their careers, put up 64 points to pace the Rockets in the win. It's the team's third triumph in its past four games and its fourth straight win at home.

Joel Embiid returned from a one-game absence because of left knee soreness to bolster the Sixers' lineup. His return wasn't enough to end Philly's losing skid, which is now the team's longest of the season.

Notable Game Stats

Ben Simmons (PHI): 29 PTS, 13 REB, 11 AST, 4 BLK

Joel Embiid (PHI): 20 PTS, 12 REB

Tobias Harris (PHI): 24 PTS

James Harden (HOU): 44 PTS, 11 REB, 11 AST

Clint Capela (HOU): 30 PTS, 14 REB

Russell Westbrook (HOU): 18 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL

Capela Shines in Matchup with Embiid

Players rarely hype individual matchups, particularly during the long grind of an 82-game regular season. Friday night was an exception for Capela, however, as he made it clear going up against Embiid was a challenge he relishes.

"Always," Capela said Thursday. "Embiid is the most exciting one, especially (because) I didn't get to play against him last year. I was hurt, and he was. That one is pretty special."

He explained getting to face off with a player who's so crucial to an opponent's success makes it different than most nights.

"I like the way he plays," Capela added. "He's the main guy on his team. That's the team that puts the ball in the post the most. He's definitely the one that gets the ball the most. It's pretty exciting the way he plays and the way he makes himself efficient. I like it. It makes it exciting to me."

It turned into a statement game for the 25-year-old Switzerland native, who made his impact felt in the game's early minutes with a block on Simmons, and he never let down from there.

He won the head-to-head matchup with Embiid and put together one of his best all-around performances of the season en route to his 23rd double-double in 29 games.

In the bigger picture, the way Capela played against the Sixers provided a glimpse of what's going to make the Rockets a threat in the postseason.

Houston has surrounded the dynamic duo of Harden and Westbrook with a group of dangerous three-point shooters—seven other Rockets entered the game averaging at least one triple—and Capela can be the ultimate X-factor when he's in total control of the paint like he was against Embiid and Philly.

He'll get another chance at the matchup he covets in the teams' rematch March 31.

Sixers' Stagnant Offense Desperately Needs Spark

Philadelphia ranked fourth in the NBA in scoring last season (115.2 PPG) but dropped this season to 17th (109.6 PPG) in that category entering Friday.

While the departure of Jimmy Butler is a factor and some of the scoring dip can be attributed to a slower pace, the lack of creativity and energy on that end of the floor was again apparent against the Rockets.

It's something Sixers fans have witnessed quite frequently during the season's first half, and head coach Brett Brown didn't hold back when asked Thursday whether it felt like his team was trying to ride cruise control all the way into the playoffs.

"I definitely see it out of them, and it is not acceptable," Brown told reporters. "I completely sort of coach and live life thinking that good things add up and you don't just click your heels and April 14 is here."

The most notable issue against Houston, which came into the game 22nd in scoring defense, was a lack of movement away from the ball while Simmons was trying to run the offense. On several occasions, he came around pick-and-rolls looking to pass and there were no options, leading to a contested shot.

That's why former NBA superstars and current TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal called out Embiid last month.

"He's the toughest player in the league to match up with," Barkley said. "But we don't talk about him the way we talk about Luka [Doncic], Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Anthony Davis, James [Harden]. We don't ever say that about him."

Shaq added, "We're telling you, 'You can be great. You ain't playing hard enough.'"

Embiid is still putting up numbers good enough for the Sixers to succeed if they had that third star to help carry the load—the void Butler filled last season.

They don't have that player on the roster right now, though. The question is whether the front office will try to work some magic before the February trade deadline or stick with the current group and hope Tobias Harris or Josh Richardson can elevate their games to another level down the stretch.

One thing's for sure: The offense on display Friday night wasn't on an NBA championship level.

What's Next?

The Sixers return home to the Wells Fargo Center after a four-game road trip to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.

Houston is off until Wednesday night when it travels to face the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.