Sixers vs. Bucks takeaways: Joel Embiid and James Harden make history, Georges Niang overcomes slump

MILWAUKEE — Joel Embiid and James Harden joined a small fraternity.

Georges Niang made the Milwaukee Bucks rethink their defensive tactics. And the 76ers’ depleted squad managed to overcome Milwaukee’s size and three-point shooting.

Those four things stood out in the Sixers’ 133-130 victory Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.

Harden and Embiid became the first pair of teammates since Otis Birdsong and Phil Ford of the Kansas City Kings to score 30 points and record 10 assists in the same game. This also marked the sixth time in NBA history that a pair of teammates accomplished that feat.

Harden finished with a game-high 38 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Embiid added 31 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds.

It’s the second time in Sixers history that teammates pulled off the 30-10 feat. Wilt Chamberlain and Hal Greer turned the trick against the Cincinnati Royals on Oct. 30, 1965. Like Harden and Embiid, both had 10 assists with Chamberlain scoring 39 and Greer matching Harden’s 38.

While they shared history together, Harden was definitely the star on this night. The Sixers point guard made the right decisions, especially down the stretch.

“That’s what I do,” he said. “I’m very comfortable in these situations, whether it’s playmaking, whether it’s scoring. I’ve been doing it for a long time. That’s just me out there playing basketball.

“I put the work in. I work on it every single day at practice and the results show.”

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Nineteen of his points came as the Sixers outscored the Bucks 48-31 in the fourth quarter. Harden’s points were timely after Milwaukee held a commanding 18-point cushion with 2 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the third.

Embiid shot 11-for-22, while Harden went 11-for-26 and made 5 of 9 threes.

The duo and Tyrese Maxey (26 points) carried the Sixers while Tobias Harris (left calf injury) and P.J. Tucker (back spasms) both left the game with injuries.

“I was fighting back spasms the last two days, and today it went crazy,” Tucker said. “I couldn’t run, couldn’t jump. So I just kind of went to the back to try to get it better. I couldn’t get better.”

Niang’s slump is officially over.

The Sixers power forward made 5 of 6 three-pointers to score 16 points. Twelve of his points came in the decisive fourth quarter on 4-of-5 shooting from deep.

This comes after Niang averaged 4.1 points while shooting 22.9% from beyond the three-point line in his previous 10 games.

Niang’sfirst three-pointer on Saturdaty came on an open look. His night flowed from there, eventually forcing the Bucks to abort their defensive strategy.

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“Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is just known to [roam around on defense],” Niang said of Antetokounmpo leaving him open. “So that let me catch a rhythm. I don’t know the last time I made a three. I think Memphis [on Feb. 23]. So it was good to see one go in.”

Harden kept feeding the hot hand. As a result, the sharpshooter was back to his normal self.

“It’s that part of the year,” he said. “You just have to grind it out. Games get intense, and you just have to adapt. I mean, we did a great job as a team tonight. It just wasn’t all about me.”

The Bucks are the equivalent of giants in an era where most teams are unveiling smaller lineups.

Milwaukee starts two 7-footers in Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Bobby Portis and Joe Ingles, the first two players off the bench, are 6-11 and 6-9, respectively. And Meyers Leonard, who’s on a 10-day contract, is another 7-footer.

The Sixers still need to shore up their perimeter defense.

They were torched by three-point shooting in recent losses to the Dallas Mavericks (Thursday) and Boston Celtics (Feb. 25). On Saturday, the Bucks made 17 of 34 three-pointers. They did most of their damage in the third quarter, making 9 of 13.

And just like when the Sixers were victimized by the Mavs and Celtics, the Bucks were open on a lot of their threes.

Best performance: This goes to Harden for his stellar night.

Worst performance: I had to give this to Pat Connaughton. The Bucks forward scored one point while missing both of his shot attempts in 17:12.

Best defensive performance: Antetokounmpo gets this one. He had a block and steal to go with his 34 points.

Worst statistic: This goes to the Bucks’ turnovers. They turned the ball over 13 times.

Best statistic: This goes to the Sixers’ fourth-quarter points. Their 48 points are a season high for points in a quarter. It’s also the most in a fourth quarter since scoring 48 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 2, 1972.