Sixers-Cavaliers takeaways: Paul Reed gets buckets; Buddy Hield is more than a sniper; don’t sleep on Philly

Paul Reed needs to be more involved in the offense.

Buddy Hield is more than an elite three-point shooter. And you can’t sleep on the undermanned 76ers.

Those three things stood out in Monday’s 123-121 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Reed is a better offensive player than his 6.4 points per game would suggest. His minutes were limited most of the season while playing behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid. When he did play, his role was to do a lot of the unheralded work while Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris provided the scoring.

Yet, the fourth-year veteran has shown in limited opportunities that he can become an offensive asset. Monday night in Cleveland was one of those times.

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Reed set the tempo by scoring seven of the Sixers’ first 13 points on 3-for-4 shooting. The 6-foot-9, 210-pounder used his quickness to maneuver around Cleveland’s 6-11 center Jarrett Allen and 7-foot power forward Evan Mobley. After Reed got the Sixers going, Hield (24 points), Kelly Oubre Jr. (24), and Maxey (22) took over the scoring duties.

Reed finished with 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting along with eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. His block on Donovan Mitchell’s layup with 1.1 seconds remaining helped preserve the victory.

But early on, he was the Sixers’ best offensive option. His team should take advantage of that more. His career-high 30-point performance on Jan. 27 against the Denver Nuggets offered proof that he can contribute offensively.

Hield made 5 of 8 three-pointers en route to tying Oubre for the team high in points. He’s more of a complete player than people are giving him credit for.

His first two baskets came on a running finger roll and a layup. Hield also had a season-high eight assists, after having six in each of his first two games as a Sixer. His complete game and constant movement without the ball have enabled him to mesh well with his new teammates. Hield is also extremely vocal on the defensive end.

He scored 20, 23, and 24 points in his three games with the Sixers to average 22.3 points. But his surprising all-around play and grit on defense will make him a fan favorite in Philly.

When you think about it, this victory wasn’t all that surprising.

Yes, it is true that Sixers (32-21) had lost eight of their last 10 games before Monday and the Cavs (35-17) had a nine-game winning streak. Cleveland also hadn’t suffered a home loss since Dec. 29.

But the Sixers have a knack for stepping up when people count them out. The Cavs had to think this would be easier against the 11-point underdogs playing without four starters.

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Maybe they should have asked the Nuggets and Utah Jazz about sleeping on the undermanned squad.

Playing without four starters, the Sixers gave Denver a run for its money before falling, 111-105, at Ball Arena on Jan. 27. Then, on Feb. 1, the Sixers, minus three starters, posted a 127-124 victory over the Jazz at the Delta Center.

So Cleveland should have known that this game had upset written all over it. Now, the NBA is learning that you can’t take the undermanned Sixers lightly.