PHILADELPHIA–In order for the Philadelphia 76ers to have any type of success in this postseason, they have got to survive the minutes when Joel Embiid goes to the bench. That has killed this team in the past and they faced their first test in Saturday’s Game 1 win over the Toronto Raptors.
In a matchup with Toronto which is not the biggest team in the world, the Sixers turned to second-year big man Paul Reed in this matchup. In his first real test, Reed was a plus-4 in 10:51 of playing time which is a massive win for the Sixers.
“He plays with a lot of energy,” said Embiid. “Obviously, defensively, he’s active. He’s gonna get steals, he’s gonna block shots. Offensively, he’s gonna rebound the ball, set screens, and he knows his role. He finishes easy baskets so that’s really all we need from him.”
Reed’s stat line wasn’t the most impressive thing to read. He only had three points and three rebounds and a block. He also had four fouls which is a concern, but he kept playing hard and that is what the Sixers are looking for.
“I love it,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I thought he was good. He comes with energy. He’s gonna have guys his size this entire series so just keep playing hard. That’s all we tell him. Next play. Get over it. Just keep playing.”
Reed is going to continue to get the minutes in this series behind Embiid. At this point, he just has to continue to grow and prepare for Game 2 on Monday.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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