It’ll be a loud night in South Philadelphia.
The 76ers (37-23) will seek their fourth consecutive victory Wednesday at The Center, as James Harden makes his home debut as a Sixer.
Harden has shone in his first pair of games alongside his new teammates, recording a 27-point, 12-assist double-double (plus eight rebounds) in his debut at Minnesota Friday, followed by a 29-point, 10-rebound, 16-assist triple-double (plus five steals) against the Knicks Sunday in New York City.
Joel Embiid has continued his MVP-caliber season alongside Harden, scoring 34 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists Friday and 37 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal, and four blocks Sunday.
Following Sunday’s 125-109 victory, Embiid discussed the experience of playing alongside Harden:
“Unstoppable. What are you going to do? I’ve got someone who attracts a lot of attention. You’ve got to make a decision - do you stay on me or do you stay on him? If you want to guard both of us, you’ve got Matisse (Thybulle) diving to the rim, and wide open shooters.”
One of those impressive options has been Tyrese Maxey, who scored 49 combined points in Harden’s first two games.
Harden echoed Embiid’s comments Sunday, impressed with the early chemistry among the group.
“The biggest takeaway is we got two wins, really good wins,” Harden said. “It’s going to be a process… We’re overly confident with the group we have.”
As of Wednesday morning, the Sixers occupy the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, 1.0 game behind the No. 2 Bulls and 3.0 games behind the No. 1 Heat.
Embiid leads the NBA in scoring (29.8 ppg) while Harden is second in the league in assists (10.3 apg). Thybulle is fourth in the NBA in steals per game (1.8 spg). The team is tied with Boston for the best free throw percentage in the league (81.6%).
Wednesday’s matchup tips at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Opponent Outlook:
The Knicks have dropped five in a row, most recently including Sunday’s first meeting with the Sixers.
Evan Fournier and RJ Barrett led the way for New York Sunday, scoring 24 points each. Fournier completed his line with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal, while Barrett added five rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
Julius Randle recorded a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, plus seven assists, and Immanuel Quickley added a bench-high 21 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
Quentin Grimes (right patella subluxation), Derrick Rose (right ankle surgery), and Kemba Walker (not with team) are out Wednesday.
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