Joel Embiid’s Message to James Harden Before Game 4 vs. Celtics

Following an impressive 45-point performance in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, James Harden hasn’t looked anything close to the best version of himself as the Philadelphia 76ers went on to drop the next two games in the series.

During Game 2, Harden’s hot shooting turned ice cold as he drained just two of his 14 shots from the field. When Game 3 rolled around, he didn’t do much better. In nearly 41 minutes of action, Harden knocked down just three of his 14 shots from the field. He finished Game 3 with a 16-point outing as the Sixers came up short 114-102.

Sixers center Joel Embiid was the only player from Philly’s side to have an offensive rhythm going. Knocking down nine of his 19 shots from the field and going 11-12 from the free throw line, Embiid scored a game-high of 30 points in 39 minutes on Friday.

While Embiid’s offensive success helped the Sixers remain within single digits throughout the second half, nobody else could get it going. Embiid and the Sixers certainly need more out of Harden, who has seemingly reached a shooting slump once again. So, what’s the big man’s message for the ten-time All-Star guard heading into Game 4?

“Just keep telling him to keep shooting, be aggressive,” said Embiid. “That's why you can't get too high, you can get too low. Some nights you’re gonna make a lot of shots, a lot of tough ones, and some nights you’re not gonna make them. It’s about finding other ways to impact the game.”

Embiid then went on to offer an example of how he spreads his value on the court if he doesn’t have a rhythm going offensively.

“If I’m not making shots, I gotta take another step defensively," he explained. "I got to become Bill Russell defensively to kind of like have a bigger impact. In those situations, that’s the way I see it. I got to get my teammates more involved. That’s for me, and as far as for him, it’s up to him to figure out how to best help us.”

All season long, Harden has been the Sixers’ most reliable playmaker. Even when his shots weren’t falling, Harden could be seen dishing out tons of assists and setting his teammates up for success. While Harden finished Game 3 with 11 assists, he also turned the ball over five times, which accounted for 36 percent of Philly’s turnovers.

Making just five shots in two games after a masterful 45-point performance has been a tough look for Harden, but Embiid is confident that he’ll bounce back soon enough.

“Sometimes you make them — sometimes you miss them,” Embiid finished. “We made a lot of shots in Game 1. Last few games, it hasn’t been going in. I have the trust in him and just telling him to keep being aggressive and keep shooting.”

The Sixers and the Celtics will begin Game 4 at 3:30 PM ET on Sunday.