Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris had himself a big game on Tuesday scoring 30 points and pulling down six rebounds in a 99-96 win over the New York Knicks. He also made big plays down the stretch in order to make sure the Sixers came away with a win.
However, there is a part of his game that might go unnoticed and that is his work on the defensive end.
For most of the night, Harris was stuck on Knicks All-Star Julius Randle. He had been having a terrific season and he was good in the first half scoring 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting and he had seven rebounds and four assists to lead New York to a 56-48 lead at the half.
In the second half, Harris led a defensive effort that held Randle to just six points on 2-for-10 shooting.
“I think we look at Tobias’ 30, defensively tonight, Tobias was phenomenal,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He was as good as I’ve ever seen him. He got a ton of deflections, got his hand in there on Randle, I thought that was the key to the game was Tobias Harris’ defense. He allowed us to guard Randle one-on-one for the most part. That’s hard to do because Randle is a heck of a player. I thought that was the key to the game.”
Randle is a tough cover for anybody. He is athletic enough to dribble from the perimeter and get inside and finish while also being tough and physical in the post to create room for himself and knock down jumpers. He can also knock down the 3-pointer too. There’s a reason why he was named an All-Star.
“He’s a tough cover with just the way he’s been playing this year and he’s a strong player going downhill,” said Harris. “I really just try to be extra physical with him, use my hands to get some strips out there on the basketball with some of his turnaround jumpers.”
Harris has been working on his defense in the past and there has been a noticeable difference in his game in that respect. He is now understanding that as one of the leaders of the team, he has to step in those situations and get the job done.
“For me, it was embracing the challenge of getting stops late in the game,” he added. “That was the biggest thing that I knew our team needed. They were forced to try and get a bucket once we cut it to four. That’s what’s expected of myself and that’s what my teammates expect of me. I just try to embrace that.”
Harris will now have a big challenge ahead of him on Wednesday as he and the Sixers get set to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at home.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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