It is not hyperbole to say that Joel Embiid saved the Philadelphia 76ers' entire season and NBA playoffs hopes. Facing a 0-3 series deficit to the Miami Heat, Embiid returned to action with several injuries to uplift James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers. The masked-up MVP finalist led them to a 99-79 win, bringing his squad to one game behind the Heat in the second-round matchup.

Embiid recorded 18 points on 5-12 shooting and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes. Maxey and Danny Green contributed 21 points apiece. Harden and Tobias Harris stepped in with solid all-around performances to help the Sixers rediscover their mojo. The Game 3 win was no fluke, either. Philly is back in business.

Just having Embiid back gave the Sixers the boost they needed to beat the Heat. As he gets back to being closer to full health, Philadelphia has more mojo to find. This isn't the Sixers' series to lose just yet but they may soon find themselves in the driver's seat and step on the gas and go further in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

3 reasons the Sixers can still beat Heat after Joel Embiid's return in huge Game 3 win

3. James Harden should be much better

Obviously, all of the Sixers players benefited from getting Embiid back. But if there's one player who should be the most grateful for it, it should be James Harden. He showed that Embiid unlocks his new, refined game that is more pass-oriented.

Having his pick-and-roll partner back means Harden will have more possibilities to attack the Heat defense. Embiid is an instant mismatch and Harden can get him the rock with precision. He also has more room to attack, shoot and a huge target to throw lobs to.

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Although some of his drives ended in chaos or just ended because of Harden's looseness with the ball, getting him downhill more often and with more confidence will be huge for the Sixers going forward.

Harden only had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 4-11 shooting in Game 3. But he looked much more effective with Embiid back in the lineup. Although the Sixers will have to be mindful about using the Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll against Bam Adebayo (they should do it much less), Philly has its bread and butter back.

2. Tyrese Maxey can get going much faster

Tyrese Maxey didn't have a big impact on the game until the second half. It was apparent that getting him more involved would be huge for the Sixers. When Philly got him more involved, he shined. He scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter on perfect shooting.

Without Embiid, the Harden-Maxey pairing was much less effective. With Embiid commanding so much attention, there is much more room for Maxey to operate. With his speed and touch on floaters, he doesn't need those windows to stay open for very long anyway.

Maxey has been the ultimate beneficiary of Harden's playmaking, as his scoring abilities are totally maximized. Now that Embiid is back to being the focal point, Maxey can work around him and take advantage of a scrambling defense that already has trouble keeping up with him.

1. Joel Embiid is great no matter what

Embiid's unreal showing of toughness galvanized the Sixers. Even without his best stuff, he had a massive impact on the game on defense and came through with much-needed buckets to keep them going.

The offensive impact of Embiid's return was clear but the Sixers benefited heavily from his defense. He contests shots much better than his backups, which led to Miami taking fewer close shots. Embiid also cleaned up the glass on the defensive end. The Heat benefitted tremendously from offensive boards in the prior two contests.

With Embiid back in action, the Sixers have a very real shot at advancing in the NBA playoffs.