NEW YORK — PJ Tucker has seen a lot in his NBA career. He has been through a ton of playoff wars, and he has a championship ring on his resume.
So when the playoffs rolled around for the Philadelphia 76ers, they were going to rely on Tucker to give the team a boost.
The veteran does not have impressive numbers. Therefore, one doesn’t necessarily see what he brings to the table, but Tucker brings a great deal of wisdom. He made a big difference in Philadelphia’s Game 3 win over the Brooklyn Nets. In a game that was not going well, Tucker came up with some huge plays in the fourth to seal it.
Those are the types of games that can help a team grow, and Tucker shared a message about games such as these with Joel Embiid before the postseason began.
“I told Joel before we started the playoffs, these type of games are the ones you remember when you get to where you want to be,” said Tucker. “The games when you shoot 40% and 60 from the free-throw and nobody can hit a 3 and you win. Those are the ones, that’s when you know you’re growing as a team and do whatever it takes that night to get the win. These are kind of games that build a foundation to be able to win because when you’re rolling, it’s hard to beat you.”
At this point, a lot of people will give credit to Tucker for changing the atmosphere and allowing Philadelphia to get tougher. However, he isn’t willing to go that far. He’s just here to help Embiid and the Sixers get over the top.
“Nah,” he laughed. “Too much credit for that. Just like a team cohesiveness that set the tone, accountability, guys have to come in and do what they’re supposed to do. Do your job. If everybody does their job and everybody’s jobs will be a lot easier.”
Game 4 with the Nets is on Saturday afternoon from Brooklyn where the Sixers will look to finish the sweep.
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