Sixers grades: Paul Reed bounces back from foul trouble; Tobias Harris excels without solid shooting
After getting into early foul trouble, Reed, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, answered with a clutch three-pointer and played more under control.
ORLANDO, Fla. – The 76ers defeated the Orlando Magic, 112-92, Wednesday night at the Kia Center. Here are my grades from the win.
Centers: B
Paul Reed got into early foul trouble that sent him to the bench. But after coming back, he hit a clutch three-pointer and played more under control. He blocked a shot and pulled two offensive rebounds in the first half. From that point on, Reed played solidly.
Mo Bamba didn’t come close to duplicating the offense he provided Monday against the Miami Heat. However, he sustained his energy and was aggressive on defense and did a solid job of rebounding.
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Forwards: A-
Tobias Harris didn’t shoot the ball well. However, he still had a huge impact on the game, finishing with 22 points and seven rebounds. A lot of that had to do with his aggressive play.
Kelly Oubre was like Bamba in regards to not being able to duplicating Monday’s offensive output. But while Bamba didn’t look for his shot, Oubre just missed his. The small was also just OK on defense.
Marcus Morris Sr. was a beast from the nail, where on occasion he ran the Sixers offense from. That led him to bounce back from Monday’s poor performance.
Robert Covington started off slowly and improved as the game went a long as an energy guy.
Danuel House Jr. only saw action in the first half. He grabbed one rebound and didn’t attempt a shot in 7 minutes, 10 seconds of action.
Guards: A
Tyrese Maxey picked up two quick fouls that sent him to the bench four minutes into the game. After returning, he erased those memories of Monday’s poor performance and the All-Star candidate scored 12 of his 23 points in the second quarter, and looked unstoppable doing so.
De’Anthony Melton had a tough night on the defensive end. Magic’s Jalen Suggs repeatedly blew by Melton on the way to the basket. But he made solid decisions and hit a couple of big shots on the offensive end.
Patrick Beverley came and provided a spark on both sides of the ball. He provided much-needed scoring in the first half. Beverley also excelled on defense while displaying his trademark energy.