Point forward? Yes, Tobias Harris showed he can play that, too. | Off the Dribble

Good morning, 76ers fans. Wednesday’s 118-113 win over the visiting Houston Rockets had more drama than expected, as the Sixers led by as many as 29 points early in the third quarter.

The Sixers, a day after their 1-3 road trip, looked gassed at the end, something coach Doc Rivers mentioned. After having off from practice Thursday, the Sixers will get right back into it when they host the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

There are many reasons for the Sixers’ 19-10 start, which has them on top in the Eastern Conference, but a key has been the improved play of Tobias Harris, who, in the absence of Ben Simmons, added a new role against the Rockets.

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Harris had a little fun with the media after the victory Wednesday. With Simmons out of the lineup because of illness, Harris was used as a point forward for an extended time in the first quarter after Seth Curry, the point guard, left the game to get his finger examined. (Curry returned later in the quarter.)

Harris moved to point forward with 8 minutes, 47 seconds left in the quarter and the Sixers down, 14-9. With him playing point forward the rest of the quarter, the Sixers earned a 38-24 lead.

After that, Harris wasn’t needed at point forward, but he continued to excel at power forward.

“When Seth went out, we just figured, let’s do it, and he was fantastic,” Rivers said of Harris at point forward.

Harris, who finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, thoroughly enjoyed his stint at point forward.

“It’s only a matter of time. I just have another All-Star point guard in front of me in Ben Simmons, so once I take his spot at the position, then it would be mine for the taking,” Harris said, cracking up after making the statement.

Harris has been having a lot of laughs this year.

He has become an All-Star candidate by averaging 20.8 points and putting up career highs in field-goal percentage (51.8%), three-point percentage (42.6%), and effective field-goal percentage (57.5%).

Last season, he was often relegated to a standstill shooter in the corner, and that wasn’t his game. This year, he has been creating his shot more, taking players off the dribble and either pulling up or driving to the basket.

Compared to last year, he is shooting better from all but one area on the court (statistics provided by NBA.com):

2020-21: Less than 5 feet, 64.9%; 5-9 feet, 49.4%; 10-14 feet, 47.6%; 15-19 feet, 46.8%; 20-24 feet, 52.5%; 25-29 feet, 40.3%

2019-20: Less than 5 feet, 62.5%; 5-9 feet, 47.7%; 10-14 feet, 47.7%; 15-19 feet, 35.3%; 20-24 feet, 38.2%; 25-29 feet, 35.3%.

The only area he is shooting lower than last year is 10-14 feet, and it is not by much: 47.7% last year to 47.6%.

Harris is doing more than scoring. He is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists and has five or more assists in five of the last seven games.

Now he can add a new position, and while it was a brief stint, it’s something that Rivers likely won’t hesitate to use if needed in the future.

Chicago’s Zach LaVine is making a case for his first All-Star appearance. And the Sixers will have their hands full defending him Friday.

LaVine, 25, is in his seventh season, is averaging 28.5 points and has a career-best .612 effective field-goal percentage. He leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring with 217 points. The next closest player is Giannis Antetokounmpo at 193. LaVine averages 8.0 points in the fourth quarter.

He also is among four NBA players averaging at least 25.0 points per game while shooting at least .500 from the field, .400 from three and .800 from the free-throw line. The others are the Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

LaVine averaged 25.5 points last year. In 12 career games against the Sixers, including nine starts, he is averaging 19.6 points.

Friday: Chicago Bulls at Sixers, 7:30 p.m., Wells Fargo Center, ESPN/NBC Sports Philadelphia

Sunday: Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m. Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tuesday: Sixers vs. Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m., Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Thursday: Dallas Mavericks at Sixers, 7 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, TNT

Feb. 27: Cleveland Cavaliers at Sixers, 7 p.m. Wells Fargo Center, NBC Sports Philadelphia

Question: I love my Sixers but I’m tired of hearing Embiid for MVP and he seems to miss the biggest games and LeBron at 36 hasn’t missed a game yet so you tell me who is more committed to winning a championship? — Jesse Seals from Facebook

Answer: Thanks for the question, Jesse. This is one I have received from several people. I think LeBron James is more committed to winning a championship — not only more than Embiid, but also more than any other player in the NBA. To play every game, while being 10 years older than Embiid, is quite a feat.

The old saying “availability is the best ability” is certainly true in this case. I’ve said before that if Embiid misses 10 games in a 72-game schedule, he likely will still be in MVP consideration. He has missed six of 29 games. You are right about James. Not only has he played every game, but he also averages 34.7 minutes after having such a short offseason. In my opinion, James would no doubt rank as a better MVP candidate over Embiid at this point.

As much as you might be frustrated with Embiid’s missing games, the key is having him healthy for the playoffs.