76ers Crown PJ Tucker as Unsung Hero in Game 3 vs. Nets

There’s a reason why Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid urged his team to find a player similar to PJ Tucker following the Sixers’ second-round loss to the Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

Claiming that the Sixers didn’t have a tough and physical on-court presence of Tucker’s caliber to match the veteran last season, Embiid challenged his team’s front office to search for one. Fortunately for the big man, the Sixers landed Tucker hoping he would bring the ideal toughness they desired to the postseason.

So far, all is well on that front for the Sixers. In their first three games against a scrappy Brooklyn Nets team during the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the Sixers have enjoyed the benefits of having PJ Tucker on their side this time around.

Not only has Tucker offered reliability and toughness on the defensive end, but he’s also gained a lot of second-chance opportunities for the Sixers on the offensive end of the floor. Following Game 3, the Sixers continue to dominate in second-chance points, as they lead 55-12 in that category.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Tucker has rebounded on 13 percent of his teammate’s misses through 76 playoff minutes so far, a seven percent increase from his regular season average. Defensively, he’s grabbed 18 percent of the Nets’ misses, another seven percent increase compared to his regular season average.

The Sixers faced a major test in Game 3, as they hit the road to take on a desperate Nets team that wanted to avoid going down three-zip. While Tyrese Maxey was the player to receive most of the rave reviews following his stellar 10-17 shooting performance, which resulted in a team-high 25 points, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers crowned Tucker the unsung hero of the night.

Rivers Raves About Tucker

“Tucker won the game for us,” said Rivers. “He did. He kept everything alive. He rebounded, defended. I lost my mind with him today because he was in the locker room and had some kind of neck thing. Three different times I’m yelling PJ — there’s no PJ. No Joel for a stretch. We got guys in the back. He was great. I mean, it's amazing how we focus so much on scoring. And obviously, PJ is going to keep taking those shots. And he's gonna have games where he makes them. And he's gonna have games where he doesn’t, and we keep telling him we don't care. Just keep shooting them and keep playing. And that's just a great example of a guy that doesn't score how much of an impact he can have on your team. He was huge. He was the toughest guy on the floor tonight. He really was.”

James Harden Chimes In

“We were going against that last year when he was in Miami. That’s what he do. He just gets you extra possessions,” Harden said. “In the fourth quarter, under five minutes to go, you get extra possessions. That’s draining on a team. He did that tonight, he’s been doing it all year, he’s been doing it all his career. I’m just happy he’s on our team now.”

Joel Embiid Applauds the Veteran

“He kicked our butt last year on the offensive rebounds,” Embiid recalled. “Tonight, when he came back in the game, I think he got one and on the second one he got fouled, then he got another one that he kicked out to De’Anthony. That’s why we brought him here. Then defensively, just ball pressure, aggressiveness, leadership. That’s why I said his name last year. I didn’t say go get PJ Tucker. I just said we needed someone like that, and [the front office] went out and got the guy that I was talking about.”

Tucker finished Thursday’s game with three points on 1-3 shooting. He collected eight rebounds, with three of them coming from the offensive end. In addition to his rebounding, Tucker also blocked a shot and produced four assists in the Sixers’ 102-97 win over the Nets.