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After squaring off in Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks were at it again Wednesday night. This second meeting held a little more weight, as it was James Harden's first outing in front of the Philly faithful.
Things did not look great for the Sixers heading into halftime but managed to completely flip the script in the final two quarters. Thanks to another strong outing from the new “big three,” the Sixers took care of the Knicks for the second-straight game. When all was said and done, they walked off their home floor with a 123-108 victory. Here are some observations from the matchup.
1) Three-point shooting
All season long, the Sixers have been an up-and-down team when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc. The arrival of Harden has made perimeter shooting an even bigger emphasis, and performances like Wednesday proved why. If the Sixers can capitalize on the open looks created from the gravity Harden and Joel Embiid draw, their offense is extremely tough to slow down.
As a team, they shot an impressive 47.2% on good volume against New York. Seven different Sixers recorded at least two makes from beyond the arc, led by Tyrese Maxey who connected on four of his six attempts.
Despite losing arguably their best marksman in Seth Curry, the Sixers have managed to still be a threat from deep. With Harden and Embiid on the floor together, the open looks aren't going anywhere. The supporting cast simply has to continue to prove they are willing and able to knock down the shots when the ball comes their way.
2) Tyrese Maxey comes alive in the second half
Like the rest of the team, Tyrese Maxey had a bit of a slow start against the Knicks. His first half was extremely quiet as he only tallied four points on 2-for-5 shooting. Using the break as a chance to regroup, the 21-year-old came out of halftime an extremely different player.
In the final two quarters, we saw Maxey play on the level he's been since Harden entered the fray. He was extremely aggressive getting to the rim and connected on multiple tough shots from beyond the arc. Maxey went on to end the night as the team's third-leading scorer with 25 points and shot close to 60% from the floor.
It is extremely clear what the presence of Harden has done for Maxey's game. Now that he no longer has to set the table, he is able to do what he does best as a score-first guard. In a shocking turn of events, the Sixers continue to quietly build a three-headed monster on offense.
3) Stars continue to shine
Since the duo's inception, Joel Embiid and James Harden have seamlessly found a way to co-exist on the floor together. They once again led the charge for the Sixers, both turning in big performances. Embiid led the way with 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists. Harden did not disappoint the home crowd in his first home game as he nearly notched another triple-double with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.
While it has only been three games, the Sixers' new All-Star duo continues to take the league by storm. Given how well their games complement each other, they have quickly turned Philly's offense into a well-oiled machine.
Despite many initial questions of the two possibly needing time to figure things out, they have hit the ground running. As they continue to get more in-game reps, there is no telling how high their ceiling is.
