76ers vs. Hornets: Doc Rivers Highlights James Harden’s Night

Joel Embiid was the scoring MVP on Sunday against the Hornets, but James Harden's playmaking really stood out to Doc Rivers.

The biggest takeaway from Sunday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets by far is Joel Embiid’s scoring performance.

As the All-Star center scored 53 points, exceeding 50 for the second time this season and becoming the first player to do so this year, Embiid was the star of the show on Sunday night.

But Embiid’s 53-point performance shouldn’t overshadow those who helped him get there. Sixers guard James Harden easily established himself as the Sixers’ most reliable facilitator since he joined the team last season. With the star guard back in the mix following a long absence due to a tendon strain, Harden has been putting his top-tier playmaking skills on display lately. 

Sunday night was no different.

“I saw Joel had it going,” Harden said on Sunday night. “So, it’s only right to get big fella the ball.”

Embiid led the Sixers in shot attempts on Sunday with 32 total. To compare, the rest of the starting lineup combined for 35 shots. Everybody in the starting five with more than three shots produced efficiently, but Embiid made it easy to get him the ball and let him go to work.

Harden, who kept distributing the rock to the big man, finished the night with 16 assists. 

“James, I thought, was unbelievable,” said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. “He was the point guard, the facilitator, and the scorer all at the same time. That’s exactly what we’re talking about, and that was phenomenal.”

Harden had a quiet scoring night but was still responsible for 19 points on 50 percent shooting from the floor. While there will be plenty of opportunities for Harden to play the hot hand on offense, as he did earlier in the season, Embiid took on the role against Charlotte, which issued Harden and the Sixers an example of how they can beat teams moving forward. 

“When Joel has it going and when our shooters and other guys need opportunities… because if everybody’s on a high, playing well, and making shots, then it’s gonna be very, very difficult to beat us,” Harden finished. “Then it gives us that confidence and energy to go down on the defensive end and get stops. So, tonight was a great example of that.”

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.