PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers have been searching for consistency off the bench. On Wednesday, they found some.
Young big man Paul Reed gave the hosts a boost in a 118-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Reed played 9:27, which is a perfect number of minutes, and he had five points, four rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench. That is the perfect stat line for the Sixers to give Joel Embiid some rest.
“He was great,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Playing great defense overall, rolling when he should rolll; he’s playing really well for us.”
Reed has been providing great energy off the bench, and the Sixers have been benefitting from it. There is a possibility Philadelphia will give time to new addition Dewayne Dedmon after the All-Star break, but the play of Reed may make Rivers think twice.
“He’s doing what we need him to do,” added Joel Embiid. “Playing hard, being active offensively and defensively, offensively setting screens, getting extra possessions defensively, and try to be as aggressive as possible. Obviously, gotta stop fouling, stop being a hacker, but no — he’s been, you can see the last few games. He’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to get these leads and keep them.”
The best attribute about Reed is his energy. While he fouls more than Rivers and the Sixers like, Philadelphia can count on off the bench.
“Paul has been giving us a burst of energy off the bench,” said James Harden. “Whether it’s a defensive presence, rebounding, finishing around the rim, just a little bit of everything. I think his energy — when you play hard, you do the right things, good things happen for you.”
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