Tobias Harris Comes Up Big for Sixers in Overtime Thriller vs. Magic

Slow starts have become somewhat of a norm for the Philadelphia 76ers over the past week. Following Thursday night's disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets,

Slow starts have become somewhat of a norm for the Philadelphia 76ers over the past week. Following Thursday night's disappointing loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Sixers star James Harden couldn't pinpoint the reason why the Sixers haven't been firing right out of the gate lately.

Sunday's matchup on the road in Orlando was a perfect opportunity for the Sixers to work on their recent issues and get back on the right track. Philadelphia was going from competing against a supposed Eastern Conference contender to facing the conference's bottom seed in the Magic.

But another slow start put the Sixers in a bad spot from the beginning. Shooting just 32-percent from the field in the first quarter of action, the Sixers were outscored 29-24 against the Magic on Sunday night.

While they slightly improved their shooting before heading into the half, it wasn't much better. Orlando had control of the game from the start, up until halftime. They led by as much as 17 points in the second quarter as they outscored the Sixers 30-23 before heading back to the locker room for the intermission.

The Sixers trailed 59-47, with Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid as the only members of the team scoring double digits. The Sixers might've kept up with their bad trend of getting off to slow starts on Sunday, but they started to turn it around in the second half.

Although the Sixers outscored the Magic in the third quarter, they didn't do enough to garner a lead. Going into the fourth quarter, the Sixers still trailed six points. A comeback was in their sights -- but the Magic didn't make it easy.

Embiid and Harris continued to be productive in their final minutes of regulation, while James Harden picked up his production after having another rough outing. Meanwhile, Philly's reserve forward Georges Niang was red-hot from the floor in crunch time as he went 3-4 for eight points in the fourth quarter.

The 76ers outscored Orlando once again in the fourth quarter, but they did just enough to even the score rather than complete the comeback in regulation. Tied at 104, the Sixers and the Magic were forced to go into overtime.

Once again, the Sixers couldn't find total separation in the free period. Young Magic guard Cole Anthony and James Harden went blow for blow as they led their teams in scoring. While Harden accounted for half of the Sixers' overtime points, it was Tobias Harris' clutch three that put the Magic away once and for all.

everybody say thank you @Tobias31! pic.twitter.com/3tUz8ZXPc1

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 14, 2022

In the end, the Sixers came out on top with a 116-114 victory. Harris, who has struggled to hit his stride on offense lately, shot 10-18 from the field and collected 26 points. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid contributed to a game-high of 35 points while Harden also produced 26 points of his own.

Sunday's victory wasn't a pretty win by any stretch, but the Sixers found a way to get the job done. Now, they've moved into the second seed on the Eastern Conference standings after picking up their 41st win of the year. 

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