NEW YORK – Joel Embiid and James Harden were greeted with loud shouts by many Philadelphia fans who filled Madison Square Garden.
Later the shouts turned into moans when one foul after another threatened that the morning would last deep into the afternoon.
Embiid didn’t care what it looked like for the audience. All that matters is what the partnership with Harden looks like for him.
“Uncontrollably,” he said.
Embid scored 37 points and made 23 free throws for the NBA season, Harden scored 29 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, and the 76ers won two straight games with their new duo, beating the New York Knicks 125-109. Sunday.
The 76ers have made 39 free throws, most of them in the NBA this season, and almost all of their work to open a tight game in the middle of the fourth quarter has gone off the line. Embid finished 23 of 27 free throws, and the NBA’s top scorer added nine rebounds.
It was the start of a series of home and home games, and Wednesday’s game was Harden’s first in front of home fans.
“It felt like we were in Philly tonight,” Harden said. “But this crowd, it’s going to be raised (up) there, and I’m ready for it.”
After a powerful performance in Friday’s victory in Minnesota with a score of 133-102 in Harden’s debut match for the 76ers, this game has become a grand game that the 76ers have handled better. The fourth was 100, but Philadelphia walked away, scoring 10 of the next 12 on the line. Embid made six free throws, Harden four, and the only 76ers basket in that stretch came when Harden fed Embid on a quick break.
After Embid knocked out both central opponents and the Knicks were forced to play little, the 76ers put Harden and Embid in the pick-and-roll.
“So now you’re throwing the big guy in the middle and it’s very hard to come to the rescue, and that’s when we made him ride and get all those fouls,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said.
Harden added five interceptions and became the best of his season in assists.
RJ Barrett and Evan Fournier scored 24 points each for the Knicks, who lost five in a row and nine out of 10. Julius Randle scored 16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Embid scored 34 and Harden scored 27 points and gave up 12 assists on Friday in the All-Star Guardian’s first game after the 76ers bought a 10-time Match of Stars and Paul Milsap for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two upcoming elections. first round. in trade Feb. 10.
Harden and Embid together scored Philadelphia’s first 11 points. Harden made a three-pointer that gave the Sixers a 38-35 lead after one.
But eventually the pace slowed, and Rivers saw all the fouls and said to himself, “This game will drag on for a while.”
The teams committed 50 fouls together. Philadelphia ranked 39th out of 44 and New York 22nd out of 35.
“They shot 40 – whatever it was, a bunch of free throws, and we shot a lot,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibado. “So there was no flow in the game, so it kind of hurts you.”
PARAVED
76ers: Rivers said he didn’t worry about Tobias Harris after the forward was only 2 on 9 for six points against Minnesota, while many other Sixers spent great nights. “He had great punches,” Rivers said. “Listen, we won in business. We’re not trying to make everyone happy because if that’s true, then we’re going to be in a loss-making business. ”Harris was 3 years old on Sunday.
Knicks: Tibado said he can’t say yet if Derrick Rose will be able to play next month. On Friday, Rose underwent a procedure due to a skin infection on his surgically repaired right ankle that left him two months behind. “You just have to let him go through it and be patient,” Thibado said. … Newcomer Jericho Sims has once again become a backup center for Mitchell Robinson, and both dropped out early in the fourth. Veteran Nerlens Noel did not play fighting foot problems. Thibado said the Knicks would be saved by their centers.
DOCUMENT OF DRAMANDA
Rivers keeps in touch with Dramand, saying he knows the center back in high school. Most of the lyrics are sarcastic, such as the one he sent after seeing Drummond throw the pass out the gate. Drumand has scored 17 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the Nets ’Milwaukee win and seems to be playing a big part in Brooklyn.
“He plays well, man,” Rivers said. “I’m happy for him because last year, the last couple of years he had problems and he came to us and I thought we really started his engine again. Now you are watching him, he is still doing it, so very happy for him. “
NEXT
The 76ers will try to split the season series with four games on Wednesday.
