Sixers vs. Pacers takeaways: More Thybulle, Harrell a spark and Harden can make a key stop

The 76ers need to give Matisse Thybulle more minutes.

Montrezl Harrell provides a major spark. And James Harden can make a defensive stop in the clutch.

Below is my look at three things that stood out during Wednesday’s 129-126 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thybulle finished with five points on 2-for-5 shooting along with two rebounds and an assist in 21 minutes, 27 seconds off the bench. That might not sound like a lot on the surface.

But the reserve guard was a game-best plus-14 on the night.

“We were talking about that in the shower,” Thybulle said jokingly of his plus/minute. “And I said, I must be a positive influence on you guys.”

He definitely is.

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The Sixers (23-14) improved to 13-4 when he plays 10-plus minutes and 8-0 when gets 20-plus minutes.

While Thybulle played his sixth most minutes of the season, Danuel House Jr. didn’t see action for the third time in four games.

“I just think Matisse is playing terrific defense,” coach Doc Rivers said. “And it’s really helped us. He’s staying aggressive. You know, Indiana was smart. They started trapping because they knew he was on the floor. That’s why we had to get him off.

“But overall, he’s been fantastic for us.”

Meanwhile, the Sixers are now 14-4 when House plays fewer than 14 minutes or doesn’t play.

The backup center plays with an edge. One that the Sixers and their sellout crowd of 20,003 fed off against the Pacers (21-18).

“Really it is a testament to my teammates,” Harrell said. “I just go out there and try to bring the energy and play the right way, and hope my teammates do a great job of feeding off me.”

They definitely fed off his putback dunk that gave the Sixers a 127-124 advantage with 1:34 remaining in overtime. After making the play, Harrell took several steps up the court while yelling and kicking out his legs.

Harrell, the 2020 sixth man of the year, finished with a season-high 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting. He made his first eight attempts. His lone miss came on a tip layup with 55.6 seconds remaining in the extra session.

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Harrell also had five rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots. He became the first Sixers reserve to post at least 15 points and four blocks in a game since Spencer Hawes in 2012. Harrell is also the fourth Sixer since 1995 to accomplish that feat.

The knock on Harden is he’s a defensive liability.

But that wasn’t the case for the three-time scoring champion with 9.9 seconds left in overtime. Harden blocked Bennedict Mathurin’s reverse layup with the Sixers clinging to a 127-126 lead. This came after Harden missed a pair of foul shots 28 seconds left.

“I had to make up for it,” he said. “Uncharacteristic. ... I had to make a stop and try and make a play on the ball.”

The Pacers were targeting him in the pick-and-roll with Tryese Haliburton in the fourth quarter and in the overtime. Harden said he took that personally.

“They got me one time,” he said. “The guy was up there dribbling the ball 15 times. It’s like I feel like I’m on an island. I just try to man up and get some stops, and I think I did a solid job.”

Now if we’re going to be real, the Pacers young guards were cooking Harden in the fourth quarter and in the extra session like bar-b-que chicken on the grill. However, he stepped up and made the key stop with the game on the line.

Best performance: Harrell gets this on a night that Harden finished with a game-high 26 points and eight assists and Tobias Harris had 19 points and 10 rebounds. That’s because the reserve was active and dominated on both ends of the court from start to finish.

Worst performance: Mathurin gets this for missing 10 of his 15 shots en route to scoring 19 points. His not looking his teammates, late in the game, enabled to the get to back into the game.

Best defensive performance: Pacers center Myles Turner gets this after blocking five shots along with finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds and a steal.

Best statistic: The Sixers bench shot 19-for-25 from the field.