The Philadelphia 76ers picked up an impressive 120-116 road win on Sunday over the Dallas Mavericks. Despite missing Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington, the Sixers dug deep and won.
Tobias Harris was fantastic. He had 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting, and he knocked down some big shots in the fourth quarter to help the Sixers get the job done. This is now the second straight game where Harris has been able to step up and give Philadelphia the production it needs out of its No. 2 option at the moment.
“It makes a big difference, but I think you guys probably saw, he was quick decision making,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the win. “When he got it out, swung to the corner, I mean, it was hitting his hands or he was ripping and going driving to make the next play. I think that, to me, shows you that he’s making the right reads and playing with no hesitation and that’s what we need.”
Harris has been a reliable player for the majority of his time with the Sixers. He was in a slump and wasn’t able to contribute the way he or the team would like, but those ups and downs happen over the course of an 82-game season. It appears he is back to being who he is normally.
“Tobias was Tobias,” Tyrese Maxey added. “I mean, slumps happen. I think one thing he does is stay even-keeled. He’s the leader and the vibrations are really high even when he’s not shooting the ball great, but he’s been great the last two games.”
Harris has been the subject of a lot of criticism in Philadelphia. It comes with the business. He’s the team’s second highest-paid player and there are expectations that come with that when Joel Embiid is off the floor. He has found a way to block that out and give this team the spark it needs to pick up wins without the big fella.
“Tobias is a professional,” added Kelly Oubre Jr. “He’s a pro’s pro. He comes in every day and works, but I think he’s fired up right now and that’s what we need. So I ain’t gonna say keep out and leave him alone, but at the end of the day, it’s just part of the game.”
Harris and the Sixers will move on now to face the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday looking to continue moving in the right direction.
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