NEW YORK — After playing two games with James Harden, Joel Embiid took a word to describe how he felt about the two superstars fitting together in the Philadelphia 76ers' offense.
"Unstoppable," said Embiid with a smile after finishing with 37 points, including 23 free throws made on 27 attempts (the most attempts by any player in a single game in nearly three years). He also added nine rebounds and four blocked shots in Philadelphia's 125-109 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.
"What exactly are you going to do?" Embiid said. "He's a great passerby, and obviously I have someone [next to me] who draws a lot of attention to him, so you have to decide. Do you stay on me, or do you stay on him ? And if you want to protect both of us with other guys, now you have Matisse [Thaiboul] diving for the rim or wide-open shooters who have one thing to do, and that's to make shots. That's all we need. Just keep doing it.
"As I was saying in the locker room, I'm glad I don't have to post every single property, so that's great."
Through those first two games, it's hard to argue with the results. Philadelphia averaged 129 points per game - even after shooting 10-for-33 from 3-point range on Sunday - and Embiid and Harden are, predictably, making regular trips to the foul line. The duo combined for 22 free throw attempts, and 37 Sunday against the Knicks in Friday's 133–102 win in Minneapolis over the Timberwolves. Harden was perfect for 10-for-10 off the line.
Embiid lined up more than anyone as Anthony Davis also shot 27 free throws in an October 2019 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. It reached the point on Sunday where both New York centers, Michelle Robinson and Jericho Sims, were screwed in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
"Our job every night is to put pressure on that rim," said Harden, who had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, posting his first triple-double as a 76er. "It creates opportunities for us and our teammates. There are a lot of opportunities that Joel had with a &-1 where he hasn't converted yet, but that pressure keeps teams going night-out and night-out constantly." It's going to be tough to cover."
It didn't take long for Harden and Embiid to find the rhythm in the pick-and-roll. While Embiid never preferred to be the role man in two-man action – something Tyrese Maxi gave him a hard time with when Embiid was asked about it after Sunday's game – he had considerable success with it against the Knicks. Got it.
The big man liked how he combined both rolling on the rim and popping at the 3-point line through the first two games, saying that the reason he was prepared to roll as much on Sunday was because he hit Shot from the perimeter.
"I thought I mixed it very well in the last two games. Tonight I obviously didn't make any shots from outside, as I usually do," said Embiid, who went 0- from the back of the arc. Four-4 gone. "Against Minnesota I had some rolls, half rolls and pops where I made shots, so it's really about the feeling, and tonight I felt like their big guys, they were either too much or too much. were aggressive, so this gave me an open lane to attack the basket, which caused him to commit a lot of fouls.
"But it's all about the mix. Sometimes it depends on how they're guarding, sometimes I'm gonna pop, sometimes I'm gonna roll, but like I said , he gets so much attention you can't go wrong with both options. If I'm making a lot of outdoor shots that night, I'm probably going to pop a lot, and then tonight I noticed that I really I can reach the free throw line whenever I want. That's why I was so aggressive."
Philadelphia's first two opponents, Minnesota and New York, were certainly good enough to start this superstar experiment for the 76ers. Minnesota commits more fouls than any team in the league, while the Knicks are tied for the seventh-most fouls per game, and both teams have mediocre defensive units. But that doesn't change the fact that, through two games, the 76ers have been as effective—especially offensively—as they might have hoped.
Much of it, not surprisingly, is down to Embiid and Harden's two-man game. But one of its immediate beneficiaries has been second-year guard Maxi, who had a second straight strong game of his own.
Maxi finished Sunday with 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, including going 3-for-5 from a 3-point range. He said he is thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside a pair of superstars in Harden and Embiid.
"It is ... I have no words for it," said Maxi. "[Opposition teams] can't do anything. If they don't foul them, they're going to score. So, I mean, it's amazing to play with people like that.
"I've been saying this all year long, playing with Joel, I try not to take it lightly because you never know. It's so special to play with people like this, a former MVP and a guy here. Playing with who I think is the MVP this year, I have a big friend next to me, so I don't take it lightly and I just go out and try to help."
And after Harden's first two games in a Philadelphia uniform, and a rematch against the Knicks on Wednesday, which would be his home debut with the 76ers, the 10-time All-Star said that his body was missing for three weeks. Feeling good after. Hamstring tightness.
"I feel good," Harden said. "It's my second game in close to a month, but just my body feels great, man. Feels great. I haven't felt that way in a really, really long time. So just my pop, I rim" I'm reaching, my extra step, feels really great. So just keep working out, keep building my body and legs and keep pushing."