For the Philadelphia 76ers Bitter elimination in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

The 122-88 with which the game ended was a harsh lesson for Joel Embiid’s Sixers. The very new MVP after the de facto contest attacked his teammates, blaming them for the elimination, especially in the moment when he declared that he and James Harden cannot win alone.

In reality, especially in Game 7, the two of them cannot hold themselves blameless either. And the numbers are there to prove it, mercilessly. Embiid finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and 5/18 from the field (0/4 from three). In the regular season he was traveling at an average of 33 points per game; in the Playoffs he stopped at 23. Harden, on the other hand, finished with 9 points, 3/11 shooting (1/5 from three), 6 rebounds and 7 assists. His regular season averages were 21+6+10 with almost 40% from the arc.

Going into a deeper analysis, it turns out that. Embiid and Harden as a pair, in the decisive Game 7 of the conference semifinals, have more turnovers than baskets on action: 9-8.

Harden, in particular has literally disappeared from the court in the fourth periods of the last three challenges, closing the last fractions without points.

Harden in the 4Q of Games 5-7:

0 points in 32 minutes pic.twitter.com/eNDqTFUL6Y

– Statmuse (@statmuse) May 14, 2023

Comparisons with the latest version of Ben Simmons (who last night enjoyed so much on the couch), who in the final quarters of his last three games in a Sixers jersey in the Playoffs put together 5 points, all from the lunette. Very few but still more than Harden….

Fourth quarter stats in their last 3 playoff games for Philly.

Harden: Simmons:
0 PTS 5 PTS
0 FGM 0 FGM
0 FTM 5 FTM pic.twitter.com/XiWWhyRG6R

– StatMuse (@statmuse) May 14, 2023

It all jars even more in the face of Jayson Tatum’s Race 7 “for the ages.”