Beer and Fire Town now with identical records and Beer in 3rd on whatever the tie-breaker is.
The threat du jour in the East is the sensational "Sixers."
From AP fro Espo:
James Harden is the new kid in town, earning raucous cheers from the moment he steps on the court. Joel Embiid hears wire-to-wire "MVP!" chants from Philly fans begging for a championship.
The 76ers are so much more than their dynamic duo.
Make room for Tyrese Maxey in Philly's version of a Big 3.
...
The 76ers improved to 4-0 with Harden in the lineup. Harden had 25 points and 11 assists. Embiid added 22 points and nine rebounds.
Maxey, though, stole the show.
...
The second-year guard out of Kentucky tore through the Cavaliers in the second half and seemingly turned Embiid and Harden into bystanders. His best sequence came in the fourth. Maxey hit a 3 that gave the Sixers a one-point lead, then he drained a 3 off a pass from Harden on the break that made it 110-106 and had the Philly crowd going wild.
Harden held his arms high and beckoned the crowd to get even louder.
Beard is all in in Philly and fits this club like a glove. He is delighted by and in Joel and Tyrese who reciprocate. Philadelphia has had a season as gray and threatening as the Philadelphia sky on most days. But a bright blue Beard has chased the clouds away.
[James'] fast success with Embiid was expected. But his presence has turned Maxey into a knock-off Allen Iverson since his arrival.
Maxey made 76ers fans — and, frankly, the 76ers — forget about Ben Simmons with his play this season.
He turned it on in the third quarter and brought the Sixers back from long-range, attacking the net, and even with a nifty pass off the break to Embiid.
Maxey hit two 3s and scored 14 points in the quarter to bring the Sixers back from 21 points down to grab a lead late in the third. He buried a 3, then came back right with a 12-footer to make it a three-point deficit. The speedy guard tossed the ball to Embiid for the easy bucket that sent the crowd into a frenzy. He scored 20 points for the fourth straight game, the longest streak of his career -- and all with Harden.
Philadelphia is the story of this Association season. The club could have gotten nothing for Baby Ben and still be better off. But they got James Harden and a sow's ear has been made into a silk purse. This "Sixers" team could very well win the East. They are two games behind Miami but are walking on rare air above everyone else. They are an inspiration and a testament to stick-to-it-eveness, wisdom, and chemistry. I admire the Philadelphia organization greatly and their players. They are the best of what makes sport, at its best, so inspiring.
