Nick Nurse, head coach of the 76ers (22-9), was understandably pleased to see Philadelphia hold off Fred VanVleet and the Rockets (15-15) in Friday’s matchup at Toyota Center. But the veteran guard, who has helped make Houston competitive in 2023-24 after three straight rebuilding seasons, made quite a statement of his own.
VanVleet led Houston with 33 points and 10 assists while making 8-of-12 from 3-point range (66.7%) and 7-of-8 on free throws (87.5%).
Before joining the Rockets in 2023 free agency, VanVleet played under Nurse for years when both were with the Toronto Raptors. Their time together included an NBA championship in 2019.
With that in mind, Nurse was extremely complimentary of VanVleet in his postgame comments. Among his remarks:
He’s a big time winner. I think that [he is] certainly a super special player, in my career. I was there when he got there. I watched him fight his way from undrafted to an NBA champion, and [the] humongous fourth quarter that he had in Game 6 to seal it. I watched him become a starter. I watched him become a All-Star. I watched him become a very-well-paid player, a max player [or] whatever, right?
I love all the things that he brings to to the sport. He just wins. I go back to probably his whole entire career and he just wins, wins, wins, wins. I’m sure he’s one of the reasons they’ve turned it around here and then are winning. He just brings that with him, wherever he is.
VanVleet, 29, is averaging 17.4 points (38.7% on 3-pointers), 8.6 assists, and only 1.7 turnovers in 37.8 minutes per game this season. VanVleet currently ranks fifth in the league in assists, and his leadership and guidance has played a key role in Houston’s growth.
