NEW YORK — There have been times over the past five years when the hate for Tobias Harris in Philly has been palpable. He’s overpaid. He misses big shots. He’s not That Guy.
Maybe Saturday’s effort will bring him some love.
In the absence of Joel Embiid and amid the struggles of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, Harris scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Game 4. He’s the biggest reason the Sixers swept the Nets and captured a 96-88 victory.
Embiid missed the game with a knee injury. Maxey and Harden combined to shoot 10 for 38. Harris went 11 for 19. For the analytic-minded, he was a game-high plus-15.
“He was great. He was attacking the basket. Finishing around the rim. Knocking threes down. Defensively, being great,” Harden said. “It’s a special performance for him in a close-out, and we needed him.”
They needed him when it mattered most. That’s unusual, at least lately. Harris has had his moments, but the Sixers usually ask Embiid to make big shots and big stops late in games. Maxey and Harden are more prominent offensive options, too. Most often, Harris is the safety valve. Saturday, when the Sixers needed a hoop or a turnover, they went to Harris. Again and again, Harris delivered.
With 8 minutes, 40 seconds to play, Harris re-entered the game, called out Bridges on defense, then forced a turnover, swatting the ball out of Bridges’ hands and off his leg.
Seventy seconds later, Harris backed down Spencer Dinwiddie from the left elbow into the paint, turned, rose, dropped a jumper through the Nets guard’s foul, and made the free throw: four-point lead. About three minutes later, Harris did it to Dinwiddie again (no foul this time) and gave the Sixers a nine-point lead. The Nets lost interest, and the Sixers had their first sweep of a best-of-seven series in 38 years.
Finally, with 1:37 to play, Harris iced the game with his second 3-pointer.
It was his ninth 20-point double-double in 48 career playoff games. It was, possibly, his finest hour.
“Yeah,” Harris said. “I would say so.”
The Sixers locker room was abuzz with Harris’ play.
“Back-down, back-down, back-down, fadeaway,” Maxey called to Harris. “Back-down, back-down, back-down, fadeaway!”
Harris is often criticized for what he isn’t. He isn’t an All Star. He isn’t worth $180 million. He isn’t Jimmy Butler.
It’s hard to argue any of those points, but none are his fault. He’s played on teams with Joel Embiid and either James Harden or Ben Simmons. He didn’t pay himself the money, the Sixers did. And the Butler narrative isn’t exactly accurate.
Harris hears every word: “They’re always [expletive] on my name!” Harris said.
Sadly, Harris isn’t appreciated for what he is.
He plays hard. He plays almost every game. He plays whatever role the team needs. With Simmons running things, he had to be a back-down scorer, an off-the-dribble one-on-one specialist. With Harden, a ball-dominant shooter, Harris has been a spot-up shooter, a slasher, and a dunker.
He is the consummate professional. The ultimate teammate. Really, the perfect Philly athlete: humble, selfless, blue-collar. But Philly does not love him.
Go figure.
“Nobody talks enough about Tobias on our team,” P.J. Tucker said. “To be able to switch. Guard bigs. Guard guards. Take advantage of teams with small guards.”
Harris hasn’t been asked to do that since the Sixers traded Simmons for Harden at the trade deadline last season. He’s played a more passive role, averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, about four points less than his career average over the previous six seasons. Then the 2023 playoffs happened.
Harris entered Game 4 on Saturday averaging 18.7 points and 7.7 rebounds in the postseason. Saturday, he showed everyone that, at 31 with just a year left on his contract, he’s still got it.
“I missed it,” Harris admitted. “I work on my craft for moments like this. I understand what type of game the playoffs are: It’s for hoopers to shine and showcase their abilities to score in different spots, and different times.”
That’s why he cost the Sixers so much.
In 2019, the Sixers traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and Landry Shamet. He then cost them Butler, if you want to believe the post-2019 playoff drama in which the Sixers were said to have chosen to sign Harris over Butler.
In fact, Butler’s corrosive relationship with coach Brett Brown and his personality clash with Ben Simmons made it impossible for him to return.
And no, Tobias Harris is not Jimmy Butler. And no, maybe Harris is not worth the $39.3 million he’s making this season. Not every game, anyway.
He was worth every penny on Saturday afternoon.
