Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers sure like to make things interesting. Though the team led by as many as 28 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, the Lake Erie side clawed back to make things uncomfortable late. With the clock winding down, the Sixers’ big lead had dwindled down to just four points.
Philadelphia hung on to win by a final of 118-112.
Afterward, Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff showed some love to James Harden, who finished the night with a 19-point, 12-assist double-double.
“I don’t think it’s anything where he has to take a step back or anything where he’s feeling a type of way,” Bickerstaff explained about Harden’s approach to the game, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “It’s how do I help this team win? And I think he’s accepting that approach.”
Much like the Sixers writ large, Harden had a terrific opening frame on Wednesday. He finished the first quarter with eight points, eight assists, and two threes, joining Celtics guard Marcus Smart as the only other player to do so this season.
Paul Reed Turns Heads After Win
Harden wasn’t the only one who impressed against the Cavaliers. Paul Reed, who has been seeing more time of late, finished with five points and four rebounds in just nine minutes against Cleveland.
From the jump, it seemed like the right move to play Reed over Montrezl Harrell, Philadelphia’s other backup big. Though Reed’s roughness is well-known, his athleticism allowed him to hang with the Cavaliers’ big-bodied frontcourt studs Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
After the game, Reed expressed his feelings about seeing more time with the Sixers.
“I’m a competitor, and I love to compete, but it can get frustrating, and it’s like a lot of pressure,” Reed admitted to reporters, per Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated. “But I feel like with a dude like me, pressure always brings the best out of me. So, it is what it is.”
Though head coach Doc Rivers has gone to Harrell more often than Reed this season, that’s not been the case over the last two weeks. In Philadelphia’s last six games, Harrell has appeared in just three, averaging 4.9 minutes in the contests he’s appeared in.
Reed, by contrast, has appeared in all but one of Philadelphia’s last six games, including a 17-minute stint against the Rockets on Monday.
Embiid Delivers Rough Injury Update After Cavs Win
The Cavaliers game was Philadelphia’s last before the All-Star break. Though Philadelphia sits third in the East and projects to be one of the league’s fiercest playoff threats, the Sixers are represented by just Joel Embiid in this year’s midseason festivities.
But after the Cavs win, Embiid admitted he may sit out from the game, noting that he’s still working his way back from injury.
“I’m not healthy,” Embiid said, via ESPN. “I haven’t been healthy for the past three weeks, or month. I was just trying to get to the All-Star break without missing games and stuff. But I feel like I’ve reached the point where I need to follow the doctor’s advice.
What was the doctor’s advice? Sit out. But Embiid, ever the competitor, decided to push himself to the All-Star break.
“Back then he said I should have been sitting for two weeks, so we’ll see how the next few days go, and go from there.”