Joel Embiid Addresses Loss of James Harden After Win vs. Suns

After the Philadelphia 76ers lost James Harden to a tendon strain last Wednesday, the Sixers proceeded to play without their ten-time All-Star guard on Friday night against the New York Knicks. At the time, the veteran big man Joel Embiid was also away from the team as he battled the flu.

On Monday night, the Sixers got the All-Star center back in the mix to face the Phoenix Suns. It was the first time in three games Embiid was healthy and available to play, and the matchup marked the first time Embiid would take on another team without Harden in the starting five with him.

Despite facing a Western Conference contender shorthanded, the Sixers found success against the Suns on Monday night. Thanks to Embiid’s return, the Sixers put on a much better defensive display, holding Devin Booker and the Suns to just 88 points on Monday.

In addition, the big man scored 33 points while coming down with ten rebounds and racking up five assists in 36 minutes of action. Embiid’s scoring production was a game-high on the night as the Sixers put away the Suns with a 100-88 victory.

After the game, Embiid addressed the media for the first time since his co-star went out with an injury.

“Obviously, we’re gonna miss him a lot,” said Embiid. “He’s such a big piece of our team. What he brings is unmatched.”

After Friday’s game, several Sixers on the roster noted that it would take a team effort just to try and match what Harden brings to the table. However, there isn’t a single player on the roster that can duplicate Harden’s value alone. Embiid tends to agree with that idea.

Without their top playmaker in the mix, the Sixers will have to rely on steady ball movement and riding the hot hand. On Monday, the team got into a flow and found ways for Embiid and the veteran forward Georges Niang to bury shots as they were feeling it.

“As a team, we just gotta focus on the task at hand and keep playing together,” said Embiid. “Moving the ball. Like tonight, I thought the ball moved pretty well. Everybody was touching it. The ball was moving side to side. I like playmaking from the middle of the floor, which I did draw a lot of attention, try to get guys open shots, and I also like to call plays for my teammates.”

The Sixers still have a lot to work on, but Monday’s game was a step in the right direction, even without their All-Star guard on the floor. The Sixers will continue trying to figure out what works best and helps them find success as Harden rests up. Then when the guard returns to the court sometime in the near future, they’ll work on getting him re-acclimated into the system.

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