PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers did something they were unable to do in their previous six games against the Phoenix Suns: win.
They snapped their series skid with a 100-88 victory Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The win improved the Sixers to 5-6 and snapped their overall two-game skid. They also improved to 2-4 at home.
This was a much-needed victory for a Philly squad that had failed to live up to its lofty expectations.
It helped to have Joel Embiid back on the court after missing the previous three games with the flu.
The All-Star finished with a game-high 33 points while making all 16 of his free throws. Embiid also had 10 rebounds, five assists and one block in 36 minutes, 42 seconds. The Sixers ran their offense through him in the high post.
But they also got a huge life from Georges Niang. The Sixers reserve power forward finished with a season-high 21 points while making 7 of 9 three-pointers. Tobias Harris added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Devon Booker finished with 28 points on 8-for-16 shooting along with seven rebounds and five assists for the Suns. Fourteen of the All-Star’s points came in the third quarter. However, he missed his lone shot attempt and was held scoreless in the fourth.
Suns standout Chris Paul sat out of the second half with right heel soreness. The point guard finished with two points, two assists, and two rebounds in 14 minutes.
The Sixers finished with season highs in rebounds (48) and offensive rebounds (15).
Reed the backup big?
At least for one night, Paul Reed was back as the Sixers’ backup center.
That’s a role the third-year player had during the preseason. Montrezl Harrell supplanted him in that role in the first 10 regular-season games. But against the Suns, Reed was the first player off the bench 4:55 into the game.
He looked good while being very active and even had a short stint playing alongside Embiid at power forward. Reed also made Deandre Ayton work in the fourth quarter while Embiid was resting on the bench. Reed finished with two points, four rebounds and one steal.
Saric’s return
Monday marked Dario Saric’s seventh game against the Sixers after the team traded him, Robert Covington, and Jerryd Bayless and a second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler, Justin Patton, and a second-rounder on Nov. 12, 2018.
Saric failed to score point and grabbed a rebound in just three minutes of action. But he talked about his initial feelings about being traded.
“I was kind of surprised,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect. It was the first that happened in the middle of the season. I never thought it can happen like that. But you feel that it’s part of the job and you kind of move on.”
The coaching odd couple
In addition to being two of the league’s top coaches, Doc Rivers and Suns coach Monty Williams are well-documented close friends.
Their friendship began as New York Knicks teammates. Rivers was a 30-year-old veteran and Williams was a 23-year-old rookie. Then once Rivers became a head coach, Williams played for him with the Orlando Magic.
“Unfortunately, I had to play for him,” Williams said jokingly. “And when I got into coaching, he was huge for me as far as understanding the dynamics of being an assistant, understanding what I needed to do, the differences of a player’s game and a coaching game day. And even with parenting, he’s one of the guys that likes to tell me to loosen up.”
But Williams will tell you the duo are opposites.
He pointed out that Rivers likes to golf, while he likes to fish.
“He’s a pretty boy,” Williams said. “You can twit it or tweet it. Put it on your doggone platform. He’s a country club guy. I like putting hooks in worms.”
