Getty Montrezl Harrell #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers gives his sneaker to a fan after defeating the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on November 25, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the process of continuing their climb up the Eastern Conference and picked up another win by taking down the Hornets 131-113. Joel Embiid put forth an impressive 53-point performance to help lead the team to a win with James Harden masterfully finding the balance as a scorer and playmaker with his 19-point and 16-assist statline. However, the Sixers also got a notable boost from a surprising bench player as Doc Rivers elected to give Montrezl Harrell some extended run on the court.
Harrell first subbed in with 2:09 remaining in the first quarter and played a total of 12:58 of game minutes. He had likely his best performance since joining the Sixers ending with nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and a block. The former Sixth Man of the Year was an efficient 4-5 from the field and a +6 on the game which is unfortunately a rare sight for Embiid’s backups.
Montrezl Harrell with a MONSTER jam 😤
Sixers’ Thoughts on Harrell
Following the win, Doc Rivers was asked his thoughts on Harrell’s performance. The Head Coach was quick to praise the big man and put it, “He was awesome. Great energy. What helps us with Trez is his ability to play with the ball and James (Harden) likes playing with Trez in that way.”
Embiid also spoke highly of the former Clippers standout and put it, “He was great offensively and defensively. Just energy, that’s what we need from, you know, whether it’s him or Paul (Reed). That’s what we need from them. Coming in, bringing energy offensively and defensively, rebounding is key….but he was great.”
The superstar also revealed that he and Harrell have started to build a strong relationship and they talk often about improving each other’s play. As Embiid put it, “He’s always in my ears about staying aggressive and attacking. You know, I do the same for him and I try to keep him involved, especially when he’s not getting minutes…That second quarter he was actually the first one that came up to me and was like ‘it’s time to go’ and I just go and listen and go try to do the best job possible.” Embiid took Harrell’s advice and scored 13 consecutive points for the Sixers to end the first half which played a major role in the Sixers taking control.
keep the momentum going.
Backup Center Battle
The Sixers will likely continue to tinker with the backup center battle as the season progresses. Paul Reed has looked to have the early edge and gotten more time this season, but the different skillsets between him and Harrell give the Sixers options for this.
The performance against the Hornets was likely the high point of Harrell’s Sixers career, excluding his altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the ladder. Beyond just the numbers, Harrell did an excellent job increasing the team’s energy level, playing with passion, and he played with more of a pep in his step than has been the case throughout the season. His block in the first half was an impressive defensive play after Matisse Thybulle was beaten off the dribble by Terry Rozier, and Harrell got vertical for the block in a way that has not been seen all year.
Shoutout to @Sja_sixers for being first on the scene recording Montrezl Harrell’s reaction to Giannis tossing the ladder
At his best, Harrell provides an offensive and energy punch that can benefit the Sixers in a major way. Unfortunately, the team has not seen this version of the 28-year-old so far this season. On the season Harrell is playing 11.6 minutes per game, which is the fewest since his rookie year, and he has not seen any time in four of the games he was active. Hopefully, this is the type of performance he can build off and continue to improve moving forward.