76ers Highlight PJ Tucker’s Value After Game 1 Win vs. Nets

All season long, the Philadelphia 76ers looked forward to seeing the value that PJ Tucker could bring to the team in the NBA Playoffs.

Considering the Sixers credited Tucker for being one of the primary reasons they came up short against the Miami Heat last season, Joel Embiid and the rest of the team hoped he would bring some of that physical toughness to their squad when the games matter the most.

So far, all is well on the PJ Tucker front for the Sixers after their Game 1 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday afternoon.

The veteran checked in for 25 minutes on Saturday. Offensively, Tucker put up six shots, with five of his attempts coming from beyond the arc. He knocked down two threes, scoring six points.

While the extra help from beyond the arc undoubtedly helped, the Sixers really benefitted from Tucker’s work on the glass. By the end of the game, he led the Sixers in rebounding with seven total. Five of those rebounds came on the offensive end.

“It was important,” Sixers center Joel Embiid said after Saturday’s game when discussing the offensive rebounding production. “Anytime you can have, I don't know, like 15-16 more shots than your opponent, it helps a lot. Anytime you can get more possessions than the other team is always great. We took advantage of it, and like I said, we scored a lot out of those.”

The Sixers scored 21 second-chance points against the Nets on Saturday. To compare, Brooklyn scored just three points, making one of their three shots.

“That’s what we brought him here for,” Sixers guard James Harden said when talking about Tucker. "I mean, like the extra possessions, shot-making in the corners, his defense. That’s the reason why he’s on our team.”

The Sixers dominated the Nets in their first matchup of the potential seven-game series on Saturday afternoon. With a 121-101 victory, the Sixers advanced to 1-0 in the series. The two teams will meet for Game 2 on Monday night in South Philly.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.