Joel Embiid

The Boston Celtics reeled off their ninth win in a row after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 135-87 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, the wait to deploy their biggest acquisition ahead of the NBA trade deadline continues. The team confirmed Monday that James Harden's lingering hamstring injury will keep him out through the All-Star break.

Philly could've used Harden to help keep pace with a Celtics offense that was firing on all cylinders. Boston dropped 32 points in the first quarter and didn't look back from there. The Celtics were up 69-42 at halftime.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, the second half provided little reprieve. Boston hit a franchise-record 25 three-pointers and shot 56.1 percent from the floor for the game.

Notable Performers

Jaylen Brown, SG, Celtics: 29 points, eight rebounds, three assists

Jayson Tatum, SF, Celtics: 28 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks

Joel Embiid, C, 76ers: 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one block

Brown, Tatum Lead the Way

If you wanted the quick version of how the first half unfolded, this just about sums it up:

The Sixers simply had no answer for the Celtics' star tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Brown in particular was scoring almost at will, perhaps carrying a chip on his shoulder after having missed out on the All-Star team again when the NBA needed to replace Harden.

When Boston was at .500 (25-25) prior to starting its winning streak, asking tough questions about the franchise's future seemed reasonable. This version of the Celtics is almost unrecognizable from the one a month or two ago.

Not everything that transpired on the court was positive.

Effectively swapping Dennis Schroder for Derrick White ahead of the NBA trade deadline was an underrated move for the Celtics. White, who's averaging 3.9 assists for his career, is a more natural fit next to Brown and Tatum, and his perimeter defense was sorely needed.

After Tuesday, acquiring the 27-year-old might be even shrewder.

Marcus Smart left in the second quarter due to what the Celtics announced was a right ankle sprain. Perhaps that injury is ultimately minor, but White will likely have to assume a larger role in the backcourt for the time being.

When is Harden Debuting?

This isn't a performance that will go on Joel Embiid's highlight reel for his MVP candidacy.

Embiid was on pace for a triple-double in the first half, putting up 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists by halftime. But as Philadelphia's deficit grew, his influence on the game waned, as evidenced by his final numbers.

It was an inauspicious first game after Harden's introductory press conference.

In a way, losing by almost 50 points might be better than losing by 15 or 20 because it's a little easier to chalk the result up as an anomaly. The Sixers were so bad Tuesday that there's almost no way they will have another night like this all season.

Philadelphia is also in a bit of a holding pattern until Harden finally suits up. The team's progress up to this point wasn't rendered meaningless because of that trade, but everything moving forward hinges on how well the 2017-18 MVP fits into the rotation.

Knowing that Harden will debut at some point provides a bit of a balm for such a heavy defeat.

What's Next?

The Celtics head home Wednesday for the second half of a back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers face off with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday before beginning their All-Star break.

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden is confident that his new team can win the NBA Finals this season, responding "hell yeah!" to a reporter who asked if he felt he and MVP candidate Joel Embiid could lead the franchise to its first championship since 1983.

"My job is to help the team win a championship," Harden said at his introductory press conference Tuesday.

Harden arrived in Philadelphia after the 76ers executed a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets that notably sent Ben Simmons the other way.

It appears Harden has had his eyes on the possibility of playing in Philadelphia for a while, though.

"I just knew for a very long time this was a perfect fit," he said Tuesday. "It’s an opportunity of a lifetime."

Harden played in Brooklyn for 13 months after the Nets acquired him in a massive deal with the Houston Rockets in Jan. 2021. That marriage came to an unceremonious end, however, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting prior to the trade that Harden wanted out and was hoping for a deadline deal to Philly.

Harden got his wish, although he'll be out through the All-Star break with a hamstring injury.  The 76ers will return from the break with a Feb. 25 road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James Harden is clearly happy to be with the Philadelphia 76ers after his trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

The All-Star guard noted his interest in joining the 76ers during Tuesday's introductory press conference:

"I just knew for a very long time this was a perfect fit," Harden said. "Obviously, you got the best big man in the league in Joel [Embiid] and then obviously the coaching. Just from top to bottom, it made sense."

Harden said he wanted to join Philadelphia directly from the Houston Rockets during the 2020-21 season, but he ended up joining Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant with the Nets. After just 80 games across two seasons in Brooklyn, he will now get a fresh start with the 76ers alongside Embiid. 

The 76ers entered Tuesday at 34-22, just 2.5 games out of the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The team now adds one of the top offensive weapons in the NBA, earning his 10th All-Star selection this year with averages of 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.

He should provide a complement to Embiid, who as Harden noted, has played as well as any frontcourt player in basketball this season.

Embiid currently leads the NBA with 29.5 points per game, is tied for seventh with 11.2 rebounds per game and tied for ninth with 1.5 blocks per game. The all-around play has made the center one of the favorites for the MVP award, which Harden won in 2017-18.

Together, Harden and Embiid could create a tandem that will be difficult to beat.

Harden also joins head coach Doc Rivers, who was a longtime rival in the Western Conference while leading the Los Angeles Clippers. It's clear the guard has respect for Rivers, who was recently named one of the top 15 coaches in NBA history.

The previous relationship with 76ers president Daryl Morey, who was Harden's general manager in Houston, only adds to what is seemingly a great fit for Harden in Philadelphia.   

Joel Embiid appears happy with the trade that brought James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, even with the high cost:

Harden is heading to his 10th All-Star Game this year and will be the best perimeter scorer Embiid has played with during his career. Even in a down year, the guard is averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.

With Embiid playing at an MVP level, the 76ers suddenly become a top contender in the Eastern Conference.

Philadelphia gave up Ben Simmons in the deal, a player who did not appear for the team this season. Embiid said Friday he is "happy" he no longer has to answer questions about the situation and the team can move forward.

The other pieces headed to Brooklyn—Seth Curry and Andre Drummond—are bigger losses for the 76ers based on what they have done this season. Curry started all 45 games he played while averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game, fourth-best on the roster. Drummond's 8.8 rebounds per game were second-most on the team behind only Embiid.

Embiid showed his respect to these players, but he knows the squad got better at the trade deadline.

While people believed Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was trolling Ben Simmons on Twitter after the veteran guard was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the MVP candidate said otherwise. 

When asked about the Tweet he sent out following the trade after Friday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Embiid told reporters he thought the man in the picture "was well-dressed" and "had some swag." 

For those unaware, the photo Embiid posted is from when an Instagram user posted a photo of himself with the caption saying that he "stopped by one of my biggest haters' funeral" just to make sure that he was dead. 

The photo and caption have since been used as a meme for when something happens to someone you hate. Given the context and timing of the Embiid's tweet, many thought it was directed toward Simmons. 

With Simmons now in Brooklyn, the Sixers are set to insert James Harden into the lineup in the near future. The veteran guard is still dealing with a hamstring injury and it's not entirely clear when he'll make his 76ers debut. 

Joel Embiid did not hold back when talking about former teammate Ben Simmons following Friday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Wells Fargo Center.

He told reporters "it's unfortunate that winning was not the biggest factor" for Simmons, who has since been traded to the Brooklyn Nets and has yet to play in a game this season.

Embiid went on to say "it's unfortunate that for him having his own team and I guess being a star was more of his priority."

The Simmons saga has been the overarching storyline for the 76ers ever since they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs last season.

Simmons struggled in that series, notably passing up an open dunk in crunch time of Game 7 and having issues on the free-throw line. Atlanta adjusted how it defended because he wasn't a threat on the perimeter, which made life more difficult for Embiid in the paint.

After the series, head coach Doc Rivers told reporters "I don't know the answer to that question right now" when asked if a team could win a championship with Simmons as its point guard. Embiid also told reporters the "turning point" in the Game 7 loss was Simmons not dunking when he had a chance.

That led to an offseason of trade requests and questions if the LSU product would ever play for the 76ers.

The trade finally went through Thursday, sending Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, an unprotected 2022 first-round pick and a protected 2027 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

Embiid wasted little time unleashing a viral tweet after the trade:         

Philadelphia can now turn its attention toward competing for a title with the dynamic duo of Harden and Embiid leading the way. While Harden didn't play Friday, the 76ers still had no trouble against the Thunder thanks in large part to their big man.

Embiid finished with 25 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks and four assists in the 100-87 victory.            

It appears like new Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden might have always wanted to play alongside Joel Embiid. 

During his time with the Houston Rockets, Harden reportedly urged former general manager Daryl Morey, who is now the 76ers' president of basketball operations, to trade for Embiid, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski. 

"Harden may not have a direct history with Embiid, but he has always respected him," Shelburne and Wojnarowski wrote. 

It's not necessarily surprising that Harden wanted to team up with Embiid in Philadelphia. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in January that Harden felt he could have the same level of success with the Sixers as he did with the Rockets. 

“Joel Embiid is the alpha dog for the Sixers, commanding the lion’s share of shots and serving as the focal point of the franchise, a dynamic that could make some ball-dominant players pursue an opportunity elsewhere. But sources said Harden would welcome playing with Embiid if he became a Sixer. The guard had a lot of individual success playing for Morey as a Rocket. Sources say Harden believes he could have similar success playing alongside Embiid.”

Adding Harden to the mix undoubtedly makes the Sixers a bigger threat in the Eastern Conference. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from deep. 

While Harden's 22.5 points per game are the lowest since the 2011-12 campaign, just his third season in the NBA, his scoring output is good enough for second on the Sixers behind Embiid, who is averaging 29.4 points per contest and is in the MVP conversation. 

In addition, Harden is likely in for a more significant role in Philly. He'll step into a lineup that includes Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle, taking on more of a responsibility from the latter two players. 

The 2009 third overall pick will also serve as the perfect complement to Embiid. Both players are dominant scorers, but Harden excels from the perimeter and getting to the foul line, while Embiid is good at getting jump shots from mid-range and causing defenders trouble in the post. Essentially, neither player should get in each other's way. 

The 76ers enter Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-22 record. While Harden won't see the floor Friday or Saturday, he could play on Tuesday against the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. The veteran is still dealing with a hamstring injury and needs to be checked out by Philly's medical staff before taking the court.

It doesn't look like Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is heartbroken to see Ben Simmons go.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Thursday the Sixers are trading Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets, with James Harden the biggest piece coming back. After news of the deal broke, Embiid tweeted this:

At various points over the last few months, the 7'0" center has appeared to make his true feelings toward Simmons known.

Following Philadelphia's conference semifinals exit, Embiid said he thought the turning point of a Game 6 loss to the Atlanta Hawks was Simmons turning down an easy scoring opportunity inside to dish the ball off to Matisse Thybulle.

As Simmons was engaged in a standoff with the team entering the season, Embiid then said on the team's media day he was "disappointed" by the three-time All-Star.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Feb. 1 it still stuck in Simmons' craw that "Embiid seemed to blame him for last season's playoff loss, when Simmons did not blame Embiid for Embiid's poor showing in the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors in 2019."

The good news is that Embiid and Simmons may never have to play on the same team ever again. Everybody's happy!