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Sixers-Thunder observations: Tobias Harris perfect fit for Philly; JJ Redick struggling without Joel Embiid

Also, Ben Simmons kept drawing crowds in transition and was able to find open teammates.

Sixers power forward Tobias Harris (33) finished with 32 points against Dennis Schroder and the Thunder.
Sixers power forward Tobias Harris (33) finished with 32 points against Dennis Schroder and the Thunder.Read moreAP

OKLAHOMA CITY — The 76ers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 108-104, Thursday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Here are some observations and best and worst awards:

Three observations

- Tobias Harris is the perfect fit for the Sixers. Blessed with a high basketball IQ and a feel for the game, the power forward doesn’t need plays called for him to make an impact or score. He exploits defenders’ miscues, and that enables him to score easy baskets. Harris also has an ability to create his own shot by breaking defenders down off the dribble. He is a solid three-point shooter, and has the ability to take over games in the clutch. Those abilities are why he was the Sixers’ prized acquisition at the trade deadline.

- JJ Redick continues to struggle without Joel Embiid on the floor. He has been getting a lot of contested looks with Embiid sidelined the past four games with tendinitis in his left knee. Redick often gets separation while receiving the ball on dribble handoffs when the 7-foot-2 center plays. Redick is one of the best shooters in this league when he gets clean, open looks. But they’ve been hard to come by without Embiid.

- Ben Simmons kept drawing crowds in transition, which benefited the Sixers on Thursday. On one play in particular, three defenders rushed to stop Simmons as he drove in the paint. But instead of attacking the rim, he did a dribble handoff to Redick. The shooting guard then passed to Mike Scott, who hit a wide-open three-pointer.

On another transition play, four defenders picked up Simmons as he drove in the paint. Aware of his surroundings, the point guard passed the ball back to Scott, who drained another wide-open three.

Best and worst

- Best performance: Harris gets this award for the second consecutive game. The power forward scored 32 points, his highest total in his eight games as a Sixer. He made 5 of 7 three-pointers and 11 of 19 shots overall. His best stretch of the night was an 8-0 run after the Thunder had knotted the score at 93.

- Worst performance: This was a tough one, because Redick made just 3 of 13 shots. However, he clinched the game with a pair of foul shots with 1.5 seconds left. So I went with Thunder guard Raymond Felton, who missed both his shots and failed to score in his reserve role.

- Best defensive performance: This goes to Simmons even on a night the guy he was defending, Russell Westbrook, had 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. However, Westbrook had a rough shooting night, going 8-for-24 from the field and 1-for-9 on three-pointers, as Simmons hindered his ability to drive to the basket. The Sixer also finished with two blocks and two steals..

- Worst statistic: This goes to the Sixers’ making 63.2 percent (12 of 19) of their foul shots.

- Best statistic: I had to give this to the Sixers’ 21 assists on 25 made shots in the first half. The assists tied a season high for a first half.