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Following an impressive win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to New York for a Sunday afternoon matchup against the Knicks. James Harden entering the lineup has brought new life to the Sixers. They were able to carry this momentum to another victory on the road. Thanks to big performances from both the team's superstars, the Sixers walked out of Madison Square Garden with a 125-109 victory. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Tyrese Maxey reinvigorated
When you bring in a high-caliber player like Harden, it takes a lot of pressure off the supporting cast. Multiple guys were forced to do more in Ben Simmons' absence and can now slide comfortably back into their normal roles. One player who has benefited tremendously from this is Tyrese Maxey.
The duties of running the offense have been taken off the 21-year-old's plate. Maxey was always more of a scoring guard and now gets to embrace that side of his game again. He finished the game as the Sixers' third leading scorer with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the floor.
Sharing the backcourt with Harden has already paid massive dividends for Maxey. There are offensive looks available now that weren't there prior to his arrival. That was most notable in transition, where Maxey can make defenses pay with speed. The two guards have seamlessly fit alongside each other, and the Sixers are slowly building a three-headed monster on offense.
2) Free throws
One thing James Harden and Joel Embiid both do well is get to the free-throw line. When it became official the two were becoming teammates, many went right to the fact of how many foul shots the two might attempt on a nightly basis. Based on how things played out Sunday, opposing defenses are going to have their hands full.
In total, 33 of the Sixers' 125 points came from Embiid and Harden free-throws. Embiid connected on 23 of his 27 attempts from the line (both career-highs), while Harden went a perfect 10-for-10.
Joel Embiid is averaging 0.35 free throws per minute.
That’s the most by any player in a season in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/Iuh2KmRFCM
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 27, 2022
It goes without saying what a benefit it is having two players who can draw fouls at a high level. This played a crucial role down the stretch as two Knicks big men fouled out by the midway point in the fourth quarter. New York was then forced to go small, creating a mismatch for Embiid every time down the floor.
Finding a way to defend this duo is already a tall task. When they are drawing fouls at this magnitude, it will be near impossible to slow them down.
3) Stars show out in a big way
Over the past two weeks, multiple debates occurred on if the Sixers' new duo would be able to co-exist together. After only two games, any doubt has been laid to rest. Harden and Embiid are putting the league on notice that they plan to be one of the most unstoppable duos the game has to offer right now.
The two put up monster numbers in Sunday's win and did it all on both ends of the floor. Embiid tallied 37 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four blocks in 36 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Harden recorded his first triple-double as in Philly, going for 29 points, ten rebounds, and a season-high 16 assists.
Despite the minimal time on the court together, Embiid and Harden are already picking opponents apart with ease. This practically seamless transition should bode well for the Sixers as they are in a race against the clock to prepare for what they hope to be a deep postseason run.
