BOSTON — Joel Embiid had the chance to deliver a statement win to the Philadelphia 76ers and get them into the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, the greatest chapter of his career ended with a pitiful passage as he shrunk in the moment against the Boston Celtics, losing in blowout fashion in Game 7 as the Sixers' season came crashing down.

The Sixers now have to decide what to do with James Harden, who will almost certainly hit free agency. He and Embiid shined together at numerous points this season with their pick-and-roll partnership. But they also turned in brutal playoff performances. With Harden turning 34 before next season starts, the front office doesn't have a clear path forward.

When asked about his partnership with Harden, Embiid pointed to how he and Harden got the Sixers in a position to potentially win this series (though, obviously, they failed to finish the job).

“We got what it takes to win. Obviously, I don't know what's going on. and I know he has a player option so they can extend them. That's on those guys who figure it out. Gonna stay out of it,” he said.

The harsh truth is that Embiid and Harden were awful in Game 7 and their legacies as players may be set in stone because of it. Many of their teammates had good games but it hardly mattered. Embiid's postgame message to the Sixers is for his teammates to dig deeper — and that he'll start digging better himself.

“I still believe me and him, we got the chance to win,” the Sixers center said. “But, it's gonna take more than us. We all got to look at ourselves. I gotta be better and I will be better. That's what I'm focused on. You know, all of us, we've got to come back and find ways to just keep improving and help the team. You can't win alone. I can't win alone. Me and James, we just can't win alone. You know, that's why basketball is played five-on-five. So we just need everybody to try to keep finding ways to get better and we'll be fine.”

Many of the Sixers' role players stepped up and could have had big games if the stars they typically lean on weren't so bad. Embiid isn't so much blaming his teammates as he is explaining that everyone – himself first and foremost — has to raise their level of intensity. While perhaps he is looking to shift blame to the entire team and not just him, he isn't simply dodging blame. Instead, he's acknowledging that picking up the pieces from this season is a team-wide effort that he has to contribute more to.

Embiid explained at numerous points in his postgame media availability how the Sixers' humiliating loss was due to his own shortcomings. Of his partnership with Embiid, Harden said that it was “great” despite having just one full year to work together. Is Philly okay with running the duo back with another revamped supporting cast and hoping something changes? The answer awaits us in the offseason.