Tobias Harris didn’t ‘dust the responsibility off’ heading into Game 3, but the Sixers are still down
Harris hasn’t played up to his standard in the first two games against Boston, but that didn't have coach Brett Brown concerned prior to Friday night's game.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Brett Brown sees Tobias Harris as a prideful human being with high character.
Harris “truly cares, bleeds for the 76ers, appreciated the contract was that extended to him and his family,” the coach said of the forward. “He doesn’t dust the responsibility off.”
The 28-year-old didn’t play up to his standards in the first two games of the first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
Harris averaged 14.0 points on just 33.3% shooting. He missed all five of his three-point attempts in the first two games. He made 4 of 9 shots at the rim and was 1-for-7 on 3- to 10-footers.
Trying to get himself involved, the ninth-year veteran was pressing a little bit in the third quarter Wednesday night.
“So when he doesn’t perform in the way that he’s used to, that we’ve seen in the first two games, that’s something that he doesn’t walk away from, he owns it,” Brown said. “It’s true, you can see it on his face.”
The Sixers signed Harris to a five-year, $180 million contract last summer. He averaged 19.6 points and a career-best 3.2 assists in the regular season.
Ascent of Tatum and Brown
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown torched the Sixers in the first two games.
Tatum averaged 32.5 points and shot 58.8% from three-point land. Brown wasn’t far behind, averaging 26.3 points and shooting 46.7% on threes.
“It’s just been impressive the leap that they both have taken,” said Al Horford, who played for the Celtics the last three seasons.
Boston drafted Brown third overall in the 2016 draft. They took Tatum in the same spot a season later. So Horford had a firsthand view of their development before this season.
“Their ability to play at a high level, continue to get this much better this fast, it’s been impressive,” he said. “It just shows the work and the growth that they’ve put in.”