Tag: PJ Tucker

Sixers discuss how to slow Celtics stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss how they can slow down Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

BOSTON — The biggest challenge for the Philadelphia 76ers in this Eastern Conference semifinal series, other than overcoming the injury to Joel Embiid, will be slowing Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

One of the more fearsome duos in the league, they are responsible for everything the Celtics do on the floor. Tatum is a ruthless scorer who can also rebound at an efficient rate. He is also a willing passer who gets his teammates involved. Brown can score at a high rate while also being one of the top defenders in the game on the other end.

Defending those two will be a big priority in this series for Philadelphia.

“I don’t think about really stopping them,” Jalen McDaniels said. “It’s just like making it hard for them just because they’re great players. They’re gonna get to their spots. It’s not like you can stop somebody from making one shot, a couple shots, so I feel like when they’re trying to score, making it hard on them, a lot of pressure.”

McDaniels will be one of the defenders coach Doc Rivers will call upon to try to slow Tatum and Brown. McDaniels was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets for these moments.

“My length would bother them,” McDaniels added. “Just trying to make it harder, I can’t not let him score a couple points you know? So just making it hard is the biggest thing I say. No easy points, stuff like that.”

Along with the elite scoring Tatum and Brown bring to the table, they also get their teammates involved. Derrick White, Al Horford, Grant Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III thrive off what those two do on the floor.

“Because they don’t mind sharing the ball,” PJ Tucker said. “They move the ball really well no matter who it is. They hit the open guy and they’re always attacking. They’re in attack mode at all times. So on closeouts, trying to close out to touch to make sure they don’t pull up for a shot, and still controlling the drive, and it’s really it’s easier said than done, but they do a good job of moving the ball and playing together.”

Game 1 of this series is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT on Monday in Boston.

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The key to the Boston Celtics’ success this season according to PJ Tucker? Sharing the ball

“They’re in attack mode at all times,” said Tucker.

You might not have believed your ears to hear what Philadelphia 76ers forward PJ Tucker said about what makes the Boston Celtics so hard to guard as recently as the start of last season given earlier incarnations of the team being so bad at ball movement as to register in the bottom five of the entire NBA in assists.

“Because they (Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) don’t mind sharing the ball,” explained Tucker of a team that is now the No. 7 team in the league at moving the rock “They move the ball really well no matter who it is. They hit the open guy and they (are) always attacking.”

“They’re in attack mode at all times,” he emphasized.

“So on close-outs, trying to close out, to touch to make sure they don’t pull up for a shot and still controlling the drive,” Tucker continued. “It’s really it’s easier said than done, but they do a good job of moving the ball and playing together.”

Boston will need to continue that style of play regardless of whether star Sixers big man Joel Embiid is available to play or not, however, with the Celtics’ bad habit of not taking opponents they believe they can beat seriously enough.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

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Round 2 Sixers vs. Celtics preview: position by position break down

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of Round 2 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics will begin the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night at the TD Garden from Boston and now is a bit of a moment of truth for the Sixers. They have fallen in the semifinals in four of the past five seasons and this is another opportunity to break through.

The Sixers have not played a game since April 22 when they finished off a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets while the Celtics finished off the Atlanta Hawks in six games. The whole rest vs. rhythm aspect is going to be one to watch in Game 1 considering the Celtics have stayed in rhythm while playing games while the Sixers have been waiting around.

In this preview edition, it’s time to break down each position and see who has the edge. From the starters down to the bench unit, it’s time to examine and give the advantage to either side.

Doc Rivers, Sixers react to having to face Celtics in East semifinals

Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers react and give their thoughts on having to face the Boston Celtics in the East semifinals.

CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers got back to work on Saturday afternoon with an opponent in front of them: the Boston Celtics.

After the Sixers swept the Brooklyn Nets back on April 22, they have continued to practice and get some work in, but now they have an opponent in front of them and know what to prepare for. The Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in their first round series.

In their four matchups in the regular season, Boston walked away victorious three of those times. The Sixers will be looking to turn things around in this playoff series despite the fact that Joel Embiid is doubtful to be ready for Game 1 on Monday.

Coach Doc Rivers and the rest of the team reacted and gave their thoughts on facing this Celtics team.

PJ Tucker has a message for Sixers in preparation without Joel Embiid

PJ Tucker has a message for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preparation without Joel Embiid.

CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers are heading into another Eastern Conference semifinals series having to worry about the status of Joel Embiid. Coach Doc Rivers gave an update at practice on Saturday that the big fella is likely going to be doubtful for Game 1 against the Boston Celtics.

During the season, the Sixers went 11-5 in games Embiid missed which is a very good record. They also finished off the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 without their MVP frontrunner. Those are good reference points for the Sixers to feed off as they prepare for the Celtics.

However, PJ Tucker isn’t buying any of that. Philadelphia just has to go out there and get ready for a battle.

“I mean, we can talk about like taking stuff from games and all, it don’t work like that,” said Tucker. “You just gotta play. We’ll figure out what we’re gonna do against this team and our game plan, and I think it’ll change up from game to game trying to figure out how we’re gonna play. Who’s playing, who’s available, who’s not, but we just got to be ready to play. That’s it.”

This has to be the definition of a “next man up” type of series for the Sixers. They are going to be heavy underdogs without Embiid in this series and they understand that. They will have to rely on just about everybody to take their games to another level to beat this team without the big fella.

“Each and every night,” Tucker added. “Everybody, whoever’s available, ready to go out there, and give it all.”

Game 1 against the Celtics is set for Monday evening at TD Garden.

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Sixers vs. Celtics semifinals preview: X-factors, matchups, prediction

Here is the complete semifinals preview as the Philadelphia 76ers get set to take on the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers vs. the Boston Celtics is the matchup in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 of the series is Monday at the TD Garden. Though a tall task, there is a chance the Sixers could reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001.

Thanks to a balanced attack, the Celtics took three out of four matchups from the Sixers during the regular season. The Cs were able to turn to just about anybody to produce on the floor, something coach Doc Rivers and Co. will have to contend with.

Of course, the big question in this series is the status of Joel Embiid who is dealing with a sprained LCL. His status will be closely monitored leading into Game 1 on Monday.

Before the series begins, we preview the series and break down the matchups and the X-factors as well as give a prediction for this series

PJ Tucker has strong message for Sixers during practice before Round 2

PJ Tucker is sharing a strong message to the Philadelphia 76ers during this current downtime they have before Round 2.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are ironing out the little details that need to be addressed as they prepare for the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Sixers do not know who they will face in the second round, so staying ready is the biggest task.

PJ Tucker, who was brought to Philadelphia for the postseason, has been a steady presence for the Sixers all season. His voice has been loud all season, but it has gone up a few octaves during the playoffs. Even during this schedule lull, Tucker has been on the Sixers about the little things that need to be corrected.

“Today (Wednesday), he got angry in practice because it was sloppy and he went off when nobody else did,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Those are the things that people don’t — he just does so many things that are visible only to his team. That’s why you brought him here.”

Tucker has a championship on his resume during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he was a big reason for the success the Miami Heat had in 2022. Now, he looks to share that message and set that tone for the Sixers.

“The biggest thing is he knows the little things matter,” Georges Niang said. “Some may look at it like ‘Oh, we have a week off. We can turn the ball over or toss the ball around.’ And he’s the one to be like ‘No, we’re working on building habits that are gonna pay off in the long run.’”

Tucker has been around the league for a long time, so he understands what needs to be done and how things need to be handled in order to win in the NBA. That type of experience and that type of presence is a really big help for this current group.

“PJ is really intelligent when it comes to knowing what little things matter,” Niang finished. “While other teams, they kinda look past it and think their talent will get them through that is where PJ is more or less like ‘We need to iron out the details and win the little details so when it does come time and we need it, we’ve practiced it over and over again and we know what we’re doing.’ ”

The Sixers begin the semifinals on May 1 against either the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks.

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PJ Tucker enjoys watching Tyrese Maxey’s growth for Sixers

PJ Tucker has enjoyed watching Tyrese Maxey continue to grow on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers.

NEW YORK — Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey continues to be one of the rising stars in the NBA. His ability to take games over, to score in bunches, and to show continued improvement make him one of the top young players in the game.

In Philadelphia’s first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, Maxey led the Sixers in scoring, averaging 21.8 points. He shot 15-for-30 from deep. His ability to put the ball in the basket was needed considering the injury to Joel Embiid and the struggles of James Harden to finish at the rim.

PJ Tucker, who faced Maxey in the 2022 postseason while with the Miami Heat, has enjoyed watching his growth while out on the floor.

“Just his positive energy,” Tucker said. “Reese is always positive, always upbeat, gets his work done, comes in, and plays hard, that’s all you ask for. For our young guys, that’s all you can ask for. He listens and I think that’s the biggest thing. He listens. He takes what you say and he tries to get better every single day so it’s been fun watching him grow.”

Tucker has been a positive influence on the Sixers since his arrival in Philadelphia. His voice has been a big help, and Maxey acknowledged that after the Game 4 win over the Nets.

“We always see his offensive rebounds,” Maxey stated on Tucker. “You see his corner 3s, you see his toughness on the court, but off the court, you don’t see him putting guys to the side like myself where P-Reed (Paul Reed) or even James or the big fella. You don’t see him pull the guys that aside and coaching them and leading. We need that and we appreciate him for that.”

The Sixers will need Maxey to take a big step forward if Philadelphia does face the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals. He struggled against the Celtics in the regular season. That will need to be addressed heading into the next round.

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Paul Reed credits PJ Tucker for helping him develop, grow with Sixers

Paul Reed gives credit to PJ Tucker for his development and growth with the Philadelphia 76ers.

NEW YORK — Philadelphia 76ers big man Paul Reed has had a long climb to earning a spot in coach Doc Rivers’ rotation. He has had to learn that he has a role, he has to stay in that role and he has to star in that role.

In his third season, Reed has begun to truly understand that and he has been a big help for the Sixers off their bench to begin the postseason. He had 10 points and 15 rebounds while filling in for the injured Joel Embiid in a Game 4 win over the Brooklyn Nets to finish the sweep.

After a rough first half in which it looked like he was trying to do too much, he was terrific in the second half. He was back in his role of providing hustle plays and a spark.

PJ Tucker has helped him understand his role.

“That’s like a big brother to me, for real,” Reed said of Tucker. “He’s one of the dudes who have helped me in my development mentally, just how serious I gotta take this opportunity and my preparation and my mental focus is extremely important into winning for this team.”

There was a play in the second half on which it looked like the Nets were going to get an easy bucket in transition. Instead, Reed hustled back and produced a steal. Those are the type of plays Tucker has been harping on Reed about. Forget being fancy and trying to score a ton of points. Just play your role.

“I get it,” Tucker said of Reed. “Young guys, they wanna score and do all the statistical stuff, but those kind of plays, the hustle plays, getting back in transition, not just running to a big, but seeing close out situations and going to the open guy, getting a steal, those are the plays that change games on to help this team out. It doesn’t always gotta be scoring and whatever else is. It’s just the hustle stuff, the communication, and play hard.”

If Reed continues to provide this type of production off the bench, the Sixers are going to be in great shape in the playoffs. If he doesn’t, Tucker will be in his ear to remind him of what his role is.

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Sixers ready for some needed rest after physical series with Nets

The Philadelphia 76ers are ready for the much-needed rest they are going to get after a physical series with the Brooklyn Nets.

NEW YORK — The Philadelphia 76ers finished a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on the road on Saturday afternoon, and now they have time to rest.

The Sixers will face either the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The earliest that series can begin is April 29, so Philadelphia has to take advantage of these days off. This allows them to rest up from the bumps and bruises from this series with the Nets.

Joel Embiid is dealing with a right knee sprain and his status is unclear as the Sixers move on. This week will give him and the rest of the Sixers some needed rest.