On May 3, Beijing time, the second round of the playoffs G1, the Heat, 106-92 lightly won the 76ers, the big score 1-0 lead. In this game, Jimmy Butler clocked out in the third quarter and had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists on 5-of-16 shooting. Adebayo was 8-of-10 and had 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Hiro had 25 points and seven assists on 9-of-17 shooting from the bench.
Compared to these star players, the Heat's role players also have a good performance. Take PJ Tucker, 36, who is in charge of defending 76ers star Harden during the game. The two were teammates during the Rockets and knew each other very well. Tucker created Harden's offensive foul as soon as he opened the game, and under his watchful eye, Harden scored 16 points on just 5 of 13 shots, made 5 turnovers, and had a plus-minus of -8.
Defending the opposing side's outside arrow figure has always been the root of PJ Tucker's foothold in the NBA. He was able to defend Harden, which was not surprising at all. After all, he just won the championship with the Bucks last year, and he has been cut all the way, and his defensive skills have been fully displayed. PJ Tucker's most surprising performance was that he grabbed five frontcourt rebounds in this game.
In this game, Embiid missed the game due to concussion. Although Rivers arranged for Jordan Jr. to start, the 76ers interior line is still empty. PJ Tucker, who was 1.96 meters, grabbed five rebounds in the frontcourt under the basket and successfully inspired the Heat. Throughout the game, Tucker played 28 minutes, shooting 4 of 9 and 2 of 4 from three-point range, with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist, including 5 frontcourt boards.
In this game, Adebayo and Hiro played very well, and they played the role that stars should have. But in my opinion, PJ Tucker is the cornerstone of the Heat's victory. He strangled Harden on the defensive end and left the 76ers offensively mute. On the offensive end, Tucker's 5 frontcourt boards are also amazing enough.