Nick Nurse Praises Patrick Beverley's Effort vs. Cavs
On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a physical matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite being down big early, they managed to claw back and send the game into overtime. However, they were unable to come away with a victory.
The Sixers worked their way back into the game late with tenacious team defense. This was led by Patrick Beverley, who had multiple big plays in the fourth quarter. Along with getting multiple stops on defense, he had a huge offensive rebound and late score to put the Sixers up in the final minute.
Beverley logged 20 minutes in the overtime thriller and finished with two points, four rebounds, two steals, and one block. He also had the highest plus/minus for the Sixers on Tuesday at +11.
After the game, Nick Nurse praised Beverley for his efforts down the stretch. He felt the defense of the entire second unit helped them generate some good looks on the other end of the floor.
"We were having a hard time keeping the ball in front, we were having a hard time with the pick-and-roll. He was able to shut the water off on a lot of that," Nurse said. "I thought the group House, Covington, Pat [Beverley], they were getting deflections and knocking the ball, creating a few turnovers which we needed because we were getting some good offense out of that on the other end."
When the Sixers signed Beverley this offseason, they knew they were getting a hard-nosed player who is a leader on and off the floor. This type of play was needed on Tuesday, as the group needed someone to step up and bring physicality.
It might not have resulted in a win now, but the Sixers should be pleased with what they got from Beverley against the Cavs. When the lights get brighter later in the year, they're going to rely on him to bring a similar type of energy and help set the tone for the rest of the team.
