Subsequently, Harden made it clear it was just the morning of what he hopes will end with Philadelphia's first NBA crown in nearly four decades. 

 

"For sure,"Harden said when asked if he has a point to prove in Philadelphia."We all do. Tonight was a great launch. But we have got a long way to go, and we'll do whatever it takes every single day to make great habits so we're set when the time is right."

 Those habits will begin and end with the cooperation between Harden and Embiid, which looked to be in midseason form in their first game together. The Timberwolves, who lead the league by fouls per game, might have been the perfect opponent to exploit for Harden and Embiid, two of the league's stylish at delineation fouls. 

 

 Not unexpectedly, they went to the line a combined 22 times. Harden's step- reverse muumuu was on full display Friday night, when he made four of them, including two on which he drew and-1 fouls to produce 4- point plays. 

 And while Harden and Embiid's pick-and-roll cooperation looked cumbrous at times, it created one wide-open shot after another for their teammates and each other. 

 

"It was great,"Embiid said."Like I said, it noway happed at any point in my career, to that position. As you know I have always had to produce for myself.. But it's not just about me. It's also about our platoon. 

"All the attention that he attracts or I do, it's going to make our teammates more, and that is the thing, because we can not win alone. We are going to need all of them.. It's about giving them that confidence, because when we get to the playoffs, we are going to need them."

 

 One of those other players who looked to have supreme confidence was Tyrese Maxey, who had 28 points on 12-for-16 firing. Maxey had been serving as Philadelphia's point guard all season in the absence of Ben Simmons and impressed with his speed and swiftness. 

 Those rates were on display constantly Friday night, as Maxey got wherever he wanted on the court for open floaters and layups by knifing through the defense at will. He indeed knocked down a couple of catch-and- shoot 3- pointers, both of which came with him fully wide open due to the defense collapsing on both of Philadelphia's stars. 

 

"Yeah. It has to,"76ers trainer Doc Rivers said when asked if playing alongside Embiid and Harden will make life easier for everyone differently."You have Joel Embiid and James Harden on the bottom, and they're gon na draw a lot of attention. 

"All we talked about in this day and a half, two days, is distance and being ready when the ball comes. And I allowed our guys overall did that."

 

 Maxey admitted he was thrilled to now be on Harden's side, as opposed to having to try to stop him. He laughed as he described the experience of guarding Harden's step- reverse, saying you just have to mime when"you touch him and he gets a foul."

"I mean, that comes because of his capability to pass the ball,"Maxey said of Harden."They're so upset about his end and they're laying off and now he is creating for himself. So he is a gift, and I just appreciate his hard work and his communication and his fidelity."

 

 With Harden now on the court, Rivers had a chance to demonstrate whether he'd follow through on his oath of staggering his four stylish descent players-- Embiid, Harden, Harris and Maxey-- as well as having at least one of Harden and Maxey on the bottom at all times. 

 The sense was sound, as it would allow the 76ers to maximize their offense for as important of the game as possible. But it also is commodity Rivers has generally nestled down from in the history. 

 

 True to his word, still, Rivers started Friday night's game doing just that. His first negotiations of the game, at the five- nanosecond mark of the first quarter, were to take out Harden and Harris and replace them with Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang. Throughout the game-- outside of 54 seconds across two stints late in the first quarter-- Rivers stuck to having at least two of the four on the bottom at all times. There also was noway a time when either Harden or Maxey was off the court except for a defense-only possession to end the first.