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Kendrick Perkins Praises Sixers Forward Following Play-In Victory

Kendrick Perkins likes what he saw out of the Philadelphia 76ers' veteran, Nic Batum.
Justin Grasso|
June 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (21) during the second
June 8, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins (21) during the second | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia 76ersMiami Heat

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the Miami Heat for the right to have the seventh seed in this year’s playoffs. Thanks to a regular unsung hero, they were able to officially secure a spot in the postseason.

Things would go down to the final seconds, but the Sixers managed to walk out with a 105-104 victory. One player who played a crucial role in this win was Nic Batum. The veteran forward came alive off the bench to provide a much-needed boost on both ends of the floor.

Many people often bring up how Batum’s impact stretches farther than the box score, but that wasn’t the case against the Heat. In 27 minutes off the bench, he notched 20 points and five rebounds while shooting 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Following this performance, Batum received a lot of praise from fans and analysts on social media. Among those to give him flowers was Kendrick Perkins. The former champion brought up an old tweet he posted about how all contenders need a player like Batum on their roster.

Since coming over to the Sixers in the James Harden trade, Batum has been a key member of the supporting cast. His high basketball IQ allows him to be impactful on both ends, and this was on full display Wednesday night. In arguably their biggest game of the year thus far, Batum stepped up in a huge way to get his team over the hump.

With the seventh seed locked up, the Sixers can now begin preparing for their first-round matchup. Game 1 against the New York Knicks will take place in Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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