DETROIT — Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Reed is a young guy who is still trying to find his way in the league. He is continuing to grind and battle to find a spot in the rotation.
Sunday afternoon offered another opportunity. Philadelphia was missing both Joel Embiid and PJ Tucker for their road matchup with the Detroit Pistons. That created a chance for Reed to get some playing time and contribute.
That’s exactly what he did. He had 16 points and 12 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, to help the Sixers beat the Pistons, 123-111. Philadelphia needed his performance to get the job done.
“My mindset and just making sure I play the right way and doing whatever the team needs me to do,” Reed said afterward. “Playing the right way, playing hard. I think that’s what led to it.”
Reed has always stated his mindset of remaining professional keeps him going as the Sixers continue to experiment to find the right usage pattern for the bench.
“Perfect example,” Reed said of Sunday’s game. “I knew we were down a couple guys, and I would have to step up and play my role. That’s what I did. I stepped up, (and) played my role hard. It worked out for us tonight (Sunday).”
The Sixers will face the Pistons again on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=]
[listicle id=73459]
[lawrence-related id=73465,73462,73453]