Embiid, Harden dominance on full display against Knicks
It's terrifying hours in Philadelphia.
In just their second game together, Joel Embiid and James Harden went HAM on the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, two days after putting a beat down on the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first game as a pair.
Harden's stat-line was remarkable. He finished with 29 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals in 39 minutes. Embiid's numbers were just as outlandish: 37 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and the Sixers are averaging 129 points per game over the last two.
Furthermore, the two — in two games — have seemed to mesh seamlessly. Outside of combining for 66 points, the duo worked together beautifully on the high pick-and-roll, in the process of drawing the 76ers within three games of the first-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid seems to be all in on the union between him and Harden, and reports from Sunday's broadcast were that he spent over an hour after Saturday's practice breaking down film from the Sixers' recent game against Minnesota and Harden's long career running the pick-and-roll.
It seems Embiid has also taken another lesson from Harden: how to get to the line.
Harden's constant probing for contact around the rim has drawn criticism from NBA fans for cheapening the game — he led the NBA in free throw attempts from 2014 to 2020, averaging more than 800 attempts annually — but the 10-time All-Star's ways are now rubbing off on his new running mate.
Embiid currently leads the league in free throw attempts per game (11.3 coming into Sunday) and set a career-high in category against the Knicks, shooting 21-for-25 from the line. Additionally, Harden was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe and the Sixers shot 44 freebies total.
Somewhat surprisingly, Philly point guard Tyrese Maxey has emerged over the last two games as the team's third option as opposed to Tobias Harris. Maxey scored 21 points at the Garden on Sunday on an efficient 8-14 shooting, after scoring 28 on 12-for-16 shooting against the Wolves. Meanwhile, Harris floundered for a second straight game with 12 points on 3-for-9 shooting, after scoring six against Minnesota.
Here is how the NBA world reacted to the Sixers' display on Sunday, including Harden himself:
