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After enjoying eight days off for the All-Star break, the Philadelphia 76ers were back in action Friday night. Their final stretch of the regular season began on the road with a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Whether it was the added rest or a new face entering the lineup, the Sixers took advantage of this matchup early and never looked back. Thanks to multiple big performances, they coasted to a 133-102 victory over the Wolves. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Little time needed to mesh
As expected, the biggest storyline heading into this game was James Harden finally making his debut for his new team. Adding an All-Star to the fray is no simple task, and many wondered how long it might take for the Sixers to properly mesh with their new teammates. Based on how things played out Friday night, it will not take long at all.
Outside of shaking off some rust in the opening minutes, the lineup gelled like a group who had been playing together all year. The ball constantly changed hands and led to an array of big scoring nights for the Sixers. Harden's scoring provided a new element to the offense, while his high-level facilitation gave them something they had missed since the departure of Ben Simmons.
Many agreed Harden was a near-perfect fit for the Sixers, and Friday's matchup was a testament to that. He rather easily slid himself in and put on a big night while not taking away from anyone else in the process. Given how little time this group has to prepare for the playoffs, this early sign of cohesion is a major positive.
2) Three-point barrage
This season, the Sixers have struggled at times when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc. With Seth Curry departing in the Harden trade, they are now without their most effective deadeye shooter. Given how well they shot the ball in Minnesota, it doesn't seem like they will be missing his services that much.
As a whole, the Sixers shot 48.7% from three in the blowout win. What makes that number even more impressive is they did so on 39 attempts, way above their average on the season. Nine different Sixers recorded a make from deep, with Harden leading the way with five.
Three-point shooting has always been an emphasis for the Sixers and is an even bigger one now. If the All-Star duo is going to perform at their best, they need the floor to be properly spaced. With the attention Embiid and Harden garner, the open looks are going to be there. The rest of the group simply has to maintain the willingness to let it fly from deep at a high rate.
3) Stars shine bright
It was a rough shooting night for Tobias Harris, but the rest of the Sixers' stars put on an offensive showcase against the Wolves. The trio of Embiid, Harden, and Tyrese Maxey combined for 89 of the team's 133 points.
Maxey was by far one of the biggest beneficiaries of the addition of Harden, and it showed. With the primary playmaking duties taken off his plate, it allowed the second-year guard to embrace his scoring nature. Playing more freely on offense led to Maxey finishing as the Sixers' second-leading scorer with 28 points on impressive 12-for-16 shooting from the floor.
This was the first time Embiid and Harden got to take the floor together in a live setting, and things went as well as the Sixers may have hoped. The duo was effective in the two-man game while racking up big scoring numbers. Embiid led all scorers with 34 points, while Harden was not far behind at 27.
Many wondered if the pair of superstars would be able to co-exist, but they put those doubts to bed in Minnesota. These two already clicking at a high level in their first game together does not bode well for opposing defenses.
