Sixers vs. Heat takeaways: Paul Reed deserves more time; P.J. Tucker finds his rhythm

MIAMI – The 76ers can depend on Paul Reed.

P.J. Tucker has found his groove. And the backcourt tandem of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey is fun to watch.

Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 119-96 victory over the Miami Heat Wednesday night at the Miami-Dade Arena.

With All-Star center Joel Embiid out, the Sixers started Tucker as a small-ball center. They opted to go with their 6-foot-5 power forward over Reed due to concerns with how the reserve center would match up against Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo.

As it turned out, Reed exceeded expectations when he was on the floor against Adebayo.

“He played him well,” coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought those minutes were very good for us. So you know you always find out stuff when guys are out. So that’s something moving forward that we can do better.”

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Reed showed the Sixers (40-21) that he can contribute regardless of who’s on the floor.

The third-year veteran finished with 16 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and a game-high two blocks for his fourth double-double of the season. He made 7 of 10 shots and was a game-best plus-26 in 28 minutes, 44 seconds.

“I definitely feel like I showed them they can depend on me to step up when they need me,” Reed said. “I can come in and make an impact on a game and help the team win when Joel is out.”

There was a time when Tucker was viewed as a liability on the court.

Sixers fans blasted the 37-year-old for appearing a step slow on defense and failing to score in 17 games this season.

But Tucker has been in a rhythm lately. For the most part, he’s been making shots and setting up teammates. And his energy level has been elevated.

So what’s the reason behind his playing more fluidly?

“It’s not one thing,” Tucker said. “It’s a combination of a lot of stuff. I feel like I’m asserting myself more. I’m starting to take different areas a little more in certain games.”

The atmospheres in last week’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies [Feb. 23] and Boston Celtics [Saturday] were similar to playoff games. And Tucker approached those games and all contests this time of year that way.

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“Now, we are getting towards the end of the season and it’s a little more meaningful,” he said. “Of course guys step up. I step up. I feel like I step up more in the playoffs and become more effective. It’s the end of the season, man.”

In the beginning, he was trying to figure things out.

Tucker finished with five points, three rebounds and an assist while being active in 19:16.

The Harden and Maxey tandem was impressive against the Heat (33-30).

Maxey finished with game highs of 27 points and seven assists while starting at shooting guard in the small-ball starting lineup. Meanwhile, Harden added 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

They combined for 50 points, 12 assists and three turnovers (all from Harden).

“We are just trying to get into the paint,” Harden said. “They did a good job of slowing the game down last game [Monday’s Heat victory]. So we wanted to come out, be aggressive, get into their paint, create opportunities for ourselves and our teammates. In the second quarter, we did a really good job of that.”

That’s when Harden scored 15 of his points and the Sixers had a 37-15 scoring advantage.

The duo showed why the Sixers were high on the pairing at the start of the season. Right now, De’Anthony Melton starts in place of Maxey in the Sixers normal starting lineup for defensive purposes.

But on this night, the Sixers went with a three-guard starting lineup of Harden, Maxey and Melton.

Best performance: This goes to Reed for his dominant play off the bench.

Best bounce-back performance: Sixers forward Tobias Harris get this for finishing with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting along with six rebounds, rebounds and block after scoring two points on 1-for-4 shooting against Miami on Saturday.

Worst performance: I had to give this to Gabe Vincent. The Miami point guard had four points on 2-for-11 shooting (0-for-7 on threes).

Best defensive performance: This was a tough one, but I ultimately gave it to Reed for his two blocks.

Worst statistics: This goes to the Heat’s three-point shooting. They made just 7 of 29 threes.

Best statistics: This goes to the Sixers’ foul shooting. They made all 22 of their attempts.