On February 28, Beijing time, the NBA regular season, the 76ers defeated the Knicks. Harden played 39 minutes, shooting 8-of-14 from the field, 3-of-7 from three-point range, 10-of-10 from the free throw line, and had 29 points, 16 assists, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. According to statistics, Harden is the first player in history to cut at least 25 points and 10 assists in the first two games of the new team. In the last game, Harden had 27 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists, shooting 71 percent from three-point range.
After just two games, Harden and Embiid have already established some tacit understanding. After beating the Knicks, Embiid mentioned Harden in an interview with the media. When he talked about the feeling of playing with Harden, he used the words "unstoppable"!
"Unstoppable," Embiid said. "He's a great passer and it's clear I've found a teammate who can attract defence. So the defender has to make a decision. Are you going to stay and wrap me up, or are you going to defend Harden? If you want to defend the two of us with other people right now, Sebel can storm the basket or shoot in the open, and they only have one job to do, and that's shooting. That is what we must continue to do. ”
There is no doubt that there is still room for growth between Harden and Embiid, which requires the game to run into. But it's clear that Harden feels good in his new environment and the first two games were just an appetizer.
"We were comfortable," Harden said. "I just improvised, but I felt comfortable. The team still has a long way to go, it's just my second game at the 76ers, but I like the direction we're heading. ”
After months of chaos in the Ben Simmons era, the 76ers paid off for their patience. Harden and Embiid seem to be a match made in heaven, and they even conjure up images of "0K combinations." It could be the season when the 76ers completed the breakout and made it to the Finals...