Joel Embiid and James Harden could become first teammates to lead the NBA in scoring and assists in 41 years

WASHINGTON — Joel Embiid and James Harden have a chance to do something that hasn’t been accomplished in 41 seasons.

While it’s still early, Embiid is on pace to win his second consecutive scoring title. And Harden, his 76ers teammate, has a great shot at winning his second assist title. His first one came in 2017 with the Houston Rockets.

A pair of teammates haven’t won those titles in the same season since 1982 when the San Antonio Spurs’ George Gervin won the scoring title and Johnny Moore led the league in assists per game.

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Embiid is averaging a league-best 33.1 points, just ahead of Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić, the league’s second-leading scorer at 32.8 points per game.

Harden is the unofficial assists leader with an average of 11.1. However, he’s not listed amongst the leaders because he has only played in 56.5% of the Sixers’ games. A player has to compete in at least 70% of his team’s games to be officially eligible for an individual statistical title.

Harden recently missed 14 games with a strained tendon in his right foot. He will play in 70.7% of the Sixers’ 82-game slate if he doesn’t miss more than 10 of the remaining 50 contests.

After taking some time to mesh, Harden and Embiid have blossomed into a dominant tandem. Their ability to not only co-exist — but thrive — is a major reason why the Sixers (20-12) take an eight-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

“We just know how to play, we just know what to do,” Embiid said. “I think the biggest thing that we’ve gotten better at is the timing. He’s such a good playmaker that he just finds me and sees the plays that not everyone else might see.

“So I think the timing has been great and just playing off of each other and [if] we see something that works, we keep coming back to it.”

One has to assume that Harden will be favored to capture the assist title if he remains healthy. But right now, officially, Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (10.5 apg) is listed as the NBA leader, followed by Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young (9.9 apg).

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No player has compared to Harden when it comes to consistently racking up crooked numbers in terms of assists this season. He has compiled the two highest single-game assist totals and has accounted for four of the top seven.

He finished with a career-high and NBA season-best 21 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, while his 17 against the Wizards on Oct. 31 are the second most this season. The 16 dimes Harden dished out versus the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 11 are tied for third-most this season with Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul and Young. Harden also had 15 against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 13, tied for the fourth-best individual passing output of the season.

Meanwhile, Embiid has been the league’s best offensive player.

He and Phoenix Suns guard Devon Booker are the only NBA players with multiple 50-point performances this season. Embiid had a career-best and NBA season-high 59 points against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 13. His 53 points against the Hornets on Dec. 11 were the fourth most scored by a player this season.

Embiid has scored at least 30 points in 16 of the 24 games he’s played.

Tuesday’s matchup will mark the Sixers’ third game against Washington (13-21). They defeated the Wizards, 118-111, on Oct. 31 here before losing, 121-111, two days later at the Wells Fargo Center. Embiid missed both games with a non-COVID-19 illness.