How’s an encore sound?
After a wildly impressive showing Friday in a blowout win over the Timberwolves, the Sixers will aim to improve to 2-0 with James Harden.
Here are the essentials for their game Sunday afternoon against the Knicks:
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- When: 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden
- Broadcast: ABC
And here are storylines to watch:
Sixers shouldn’t need A-game every outing
At some point, the Sixers’ weaker areas will be more apparent than they were in Minnesota.
NBA
The team’s 19 made three-pointers were a season high and Harden’s 5-for-7 night was his best long-range game this year in terms of percentage. When tough shots drop on top of the open ones, everything looks shinier.
But for the first time in a long time (certainly in Joel Embiid’s career), the Sixers have a guard known for “Great defense, better offense” scoring. That’s a big deal in the playoffs, as is Harden’s passing talent and his foul drawing. Even when the Sixers don’t score 133 points and find themselves in tight games, their lead ball handler can create efficient offense when required.
New world in transition
One of Ben Simmons’ best offensive traits with the Sixers was generating frequent transition offense.
Harden’s never been a speedster, but he reminded everyone Friday that he’s also not exclusively a deliberate, half-court player. He wants to throw the ball ahead to open teammates, to exploit mismatches, and to attack the defense when it's unsettled.
Those are all welcome qualities for the Sixers, who before Harden’s debut had started 14.8 percent of their possessions with a transition play, per Cleaning the Glass, which ranked 15th in the NBA. Against the Timberwolves, that number was 22.2 percent and Tyrese Maxey appeared especially dynamic in the open floor. We’ll see whether the Sixers fulfill some of that opening-game promise as a transition team with Harden.
Kicking off the mini-series
If the Sixers beat the Knicks, New York will finish February with one win and a 25-36 record overall.
The teams will meet again Wednesday night in Philadelphia. A Sixers sweep seems doable before they begin a challenging four-game stretch against the Cavs, Heat, Bulls and Nets.
First things first, though: RJ Barrett is fresh off of a career-best 46-point performance in a loss to Miami. He took 22 foul shots in the game, also a career high. It will be important for the Sixers to make Barrett work for his scoring chances and limit his free points. Matisse Thybulle will presumably play a large role on that front.