The bench unit for the Philadelphia 76ers gets a lot of criticism as they don’t quite have the same type of star power that the starting unit possesses. However, when they need to be called upon, they produce.
The latest example of that was Friday night at Madison Square Garden where the Sixers trailed the New York Knicks by 12 at halftime and were searching for answers. Coach Brett Brown called upon James Ennis III and he responded by knocking down timely buckets and making big shots to help spur a comeback and win it 101-95.
All-Star Ben Simmons was happy with what Ennis provided as he said:
Besides rebounding the ball at a very high level, offensively he is athletic. Tonight, he was knocking down shots and he stepped up in a big way, which is huge especially with a couple of guys out.
Philadelphia shot 2-for-18 from deep in the first half as they seemed to have a really hard time finding any offensive flow. They shot much better in the second half to finish 7-for-26 for the game and Ennis made 3-for-4 from deep personally.
Coach Brett Brown was happy with what he provided as he added:
I thought he was good on both sides of the ball. We struggled from the three. I think we were 2-for-18 in the first half and ended 5-for-8. James’ ability to swing and knock stuff down in the corners certainly helps the scoreboard.
Tobias Harris, who also played a key role in the second-half comeback as he scored 13 of his 19 in the final 24 minutes, added this on Ennis:
I mean, in this whole locker room he has a respect level with the way that he plays and how hard he plays and tonight it was that coming to fruition in a high-volume way, but we don’t come out of here with a win today without him, his effort. I thought he gave us a huge spark especially in the third quarter and played a great game. He desereves it, he works his butt off and he is a professional and he comes in every game and gives us that great energy.
The Sixers have been finding contributors off the bench recently as Matisse Thybulle played a big role in their Thanksgiving Eve win over the Sacramento Kings, Ennis playing a big role on Friday, and others playing roles in the past. This will need to continue for them to get back in the saddle and seriously chase a title. [lawrence-related id=20230,20203,20210]