Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse had a tough decision in front of him as his team prepared to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night. The Sixers were missing Tobias Harris due to a left hip impingement and Nurse had to figure out who to start in his place.
He decided to turn to 6-foot-6 KJ Martin who hadn’t started all year. He is also an unlikely source of production against a hulking frontline from the Cavaliers. It was a bit of a surprise decision, but it paid off in a 123-121 win over the Cavs on Monday.
Martin had 10 points and eight rebounds and made a ton of big hustle plays all night long to help Philadelphia pick up a critical win.
“He’s like the most veteran guy left at that position,” Nurse told reporters after the win. “So it could have been probably him. Could have been Ricky (Council IV), but we could have started four guards and maybe went with Cam Payne, but they’re so big and I thought he was the right decision with experience in the league.”
The decision clearly paid off. Martin is one of the more athletic players in the league and he works his tail off. His work ethic, basketball IQ, and heart make up for his lack of height and it certainly helped in the win in Cleveland.
“I thought he played very well,” Nurse added. “I thought Ricky played awesome again. Those guys really did a good job defensively at the end of the game.”
The Sixers will now head home to host the Miami Heat on Wednesday before heading off into the All-Star break.
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