Doc Rivers Praises Korkmaz for Game 4 Performance

After losing Joel Embiid to injury, Doc Rivers was forced to adjust his game plan on the fly in game four. Without their star center and their other All-Star in foul trouble for a majority of the game, the Sixers needed a spark from somewhere. 

That spark came from within the second unit. With the game still winnable late in the fourth, some of the role players stepped up to help try and pull out the win.

The two particular standouts were rookie Tyrese Maxey and Furkan Korkmaz. This duo combined for 17 of the team's 34 points in the fourth quarter on Monday. 

Korkmaz's play has been up and down throughout this series but came alive when needed. His energy on both ends helped keep the game within striking distance. In 11 minutes of action in the fourth, Korkmaz scored seven points on stellar 3-4 shooting. 

After the game, Doc Rivers credited Korkmaz for his work on the floor down the stretch. 

"I thought Furk was absolutely phenomenal for us tonight, which was great. He needed to get going, so maybe we can add him to the series now," said Rivers. 

Monday's game was an opportunity to step up and earn minutes moving forward, and Korkmaz did not let that go to waste. Rivers is sure to keep a performance like this in his mind when the rotations begin to shrink. 

Hopefully, Korkmaz can continue to build off his performance in game four. When he is playing confidently, he has the potential to score in bunches for the Sixers off the bench.

Multiple players are on the fringe of being out of the rotation as the postseason progresses. With his performance in the fourth quarter on Monday, Korkmaz inched closer to solidifying himself a spot. 

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.