BOSTON — Aside from Joel Embiid, the one member of the Philadelphia 76ers who has been through this recent run has been Tobias Harris. The Sixers acquired Harris at the deadline in 2019, and he has been with the team throughout its playoff exits.
Sunday was no different. The Sixers were eliminated in Game 7 by the Boston Celtics, 112-88. This is the third consecutive season Philadelphia has been ousted in the conference semifinals and the fifth time in six seasons.
Harris has been through it all.
“It’s disappointing for sure,” Harris stated. “I don’t know what else you want me to say. Hell yeah, it is disappointing to however many second-round exits that it’s been. We’ve been right there as well. We’ve been right there. There’s no moral victories in being right there. It hurts for sure.”
After such an efficient first round against the Brooklyn Nets, Harris’s numbers dipped in against Boston. He shot 25.9% from deep against the Celtics compared to 57.1% against the Nets. He averaged 12.4 points against Boston compared to 20.3 against Brooklyn.
Harris ended his season by scoring 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting and pulling down five rebounds. The versatile forward scored well, and he had a very good series overall on the defensive end, but his efforts weren’t enough when the Celtics went on their huge run.
“We were just too flat on both sides of the basketball,” Harris added. “Offensively and defensively. We had a few turnovers, shots that didn’t fall, and then that led to bad energy on the other end. They were able to capitalize and make shots and in a Game 7, that’s tough to come back from that. I thought that third quarter was when they made their big run and were able to take it from there so obviously, it’s extremely disappointing.”
Harris and the Sixers will head into another summer of disappointment and questions as they prepare for their next opportunity in the 2023-24 season.
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