Sixers ensure to single out PJ Tucker after house win over Nuggets
PHILADELPHIA–When one appears at Philadelphia 76ers ahead PJ Tucker’s stat line in Saturday’s 126-119 win over the Denver Nuggets, they’ll see a whopping two factors, one rebound, and one help with 4 fouls and a technical foul in 24:28.
But, these two factors and one rebound got here on the most opportune second and he additionally was terrific when it comes to defending Nuggets star Nikola Jokic as a way to rally and win the sport. Saturday’s contest was the proper instance of what Tucker brings to the desk on a nightly foundation.
“He’s skilled,” mentioned coach Doc Rivers. “They had been attempting to rotate off of him, he dives to the basket, he is aware of easy methods to play basketball, and that’s why we went out and obtained him. Nights like tonight, he can win a sport for you, and he did that.
At halftime, Jokic was taking pictures 6-for-7 and he had 16 factors. After halftime, he shot simply 2-for-5 and he had eight factors. He additionally had six turnovers in what was a terrific effort by each Tucker and the Sixers after halftime.
“Within the first half, he (Jokic) caught all the pieces on the elbow and low,” Rivers added. “So I believed Tuck, pay attention, Joel (Embiid) was phenomenal. He had 47 factors, however we don’t win the sport if PJ Tucker doesn’t play. The best way he performed within the second half was extraordinary.”
The Nuggets shot 65.9% from the ground on their approach to 73 factors at halftime. The Sixers then switched Tucker onto Jokic and he led a giant defensive effort within the second half the place they held Denver to 40.5% taking pictures and 46 factors.
“Actually, I feel Tuck spearheaded the protection for us within the second half,” added Matisse Thybulle. “He made issues so onerous for Jokic whether or not it was catching the ball, dribbling, passing, taking pictures, he couldn’t get something straightforward, and that makes us rather a lot higher as a result of Jokic’s skill to take tremendous small home windows and make performs for his group is like nobody else within the NBA so we had a bigger position of margin of error due to Tuck and his depth.”
Whereas the main focus goes to be on Embiid and his 47 factors, and rightfully in order he was terrific on Saturday, Tucker performed an essential position within the win.
“He was incredible,” Embiid mentioned of Tucker. “Clearly, after I obtained in foul bother, we switched the matchup, and having me again down as a rover is all the time a good suggestion anyhow as a result of I can management all the pieces however he was glorious. Simply attempting to be bodily with such a tremendous participant as Jokic who we noticed is sort of unguardable so you bought to do the very best job potential, however I believed he did that. I believed he was bodily, didn’t let him catch the ball. He didn’t give him my area and he’s the rationale why we gained that sport.”
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Player grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers rally to beat Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
