PHILADELPHIA–When one looks at Philadelphia 76ers veteran PJ Tucker and they see the box score in Friday’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, it will not stand out at all. Tucker didn’t score, he missed his only shot attempt, he only grabbed four rebounds, and he had two assists and four fouls.
However, he was so much more than that. Despite picking up some tough fouls early, he was able to bother Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he was able to provide a big spark in Philadelphia being able to get a win despite being so shorthanded.
“It’s funny, if someone didn’t watch this game, they’re going to look at the box score and they’re going to see PJ Tucker went 0-for-1, had four rebounds, two assists and he may have been our most important player on the floor tonight,” coach Doc Rivers. “I said that to our guys and everybody started clapping because they saw it. It’s a great example of how you help your team sometimes and it doesn’t have to be scoring.”
That’s just who Tucker is. It’s all about coming away with wins and it doesn’t matter what his stat line says. Forget the points, forget the rebounds, and the glory. It’s all about making sure the team is on top at the end of the day.
“His unselfish play shows in his stat line, but at the same time, his stat line doesn’t show how much he means to us,” said Georges Niang. “He was tremendous tonight. To slow Giannis up, Giannis was on a tear, and to slow him up and give us a chance to win this game, and big rebounds, big tip-outs, just talking, keeping us dialed in as a unit. That guy doesn’t get enough credit and he wins games just by being PJ Tucker.”
Tucker, who won a championship with the Bucks in 2021, understands what it takes to win and he did a terrific job against Antetokounmpo late in the win.
“He got it going early,” Tucker said. “I knew if I just stayed consistent, beat him to the stop, making it tough, making him make tough finishes, making him shoot more, and get him out of those dribble handoffs, the more we can get through them.”
He was instructing guys like Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, and Shake Milton to be aggressive on the screens so Antetokounmpo can’t get going.
“I think Reese did good early, but Melton and Shake did a pretty good job of getting through,” Tucker continued. “Fighting through the screens so we wouldn’t have to switch, that helped a lot, but he’s a great player. He’s gonna score the ball.”
At the end of the day, it’s obvious that Tucker is making an impact on the Sixers out on the floor despite what his box score says.
“Obviously, he’s a savvy veteran, and he’s just a leader,” Niang added. “He’s been to the mountaintop. He’s won a championship. He knows what it takes night in night out and he demands it out of everybody. I think that’s the best part.”
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