Six players sweep the Nets without Joel Embiid as Tobias Harris, Paul Reed’s star

NEW YORK — After Saturday’s first four-game playoff sweep of the Philadelphia Sixers in a best-of-seven series since the start of Ronald Reagan’s second presidential term, the mood outside the locker room at Barclays Center is rightfully festive.

Tobias Harris shrieked with joy after being the best player on the court in the shutout game. The assistant coaches were comically barking at Paul Reed, who was the biggest dog on Earth, and they beat the Nets on the glass with a comical degree. Head coach Doc Rivers shouted that he could schedule a game on Sunday.

To the victor goes the spoils. Still, even after the Sixers shut out the Brooklyn Nets with a 96-88 win, it’s hard not to get hung up on the last question Rivers asked in his post-game press conference: What level of confidence does he have that Joel Embiid will be ready for his second-round start?

“It’s not that I don’t have confidence,” Rivers said. “I would say now, probably the same percentage as I said before the game. Maybe 50 percent, at best.”

It was a sobering assessment given after another triumphant performance. The Sixers have been an excellent short-handed team all season, so it should come as no surprise that they’ve added a superlative playoff win to their resume. They improved to 12-5 without Embiid on the season. And while there were many notable performances to choose from, no player shone more than Harris.

Harris went 11-of-19 from the field for 25 points and 12 rebounds. It was a game high plus-15, while the offense was stuck in the mud most of the afternoon. And unlike in most situations, James Harden and Therese Maxie never got their start

So, the Sixers threw the ball to Harris and told him to play. And throughout the game, he was up to the task.

This was the kind of loneliness in the middle of post-bully ball that Rivers called Harris regularly when he was the first choice for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018. That’s not his role in those six with that level of offensive firepower. Harris took on a minor role in 3D. And when Harris has a bad shooting game, Rivers often points out that the ball isn’t moving enough. Harris isn’t always completely blameless, but more often than not, the ball doesn’t find him.

But with Embiid out and Harden struggling, the Sixers threw the ball to Harris and got to work. Harris was always better than any Brooklyn player he ever guarded.

“Whatever the role it’s been over the year, I just craft day in and day out for moments like this,” said Harris. “And I understand what kind of game the playoffs are, hoops have to really shine and show their level of ability to score at different points and at different times.

“And for me, opportunities came here and I was able to take advantage of them. Just use my size and my strength.”

Harris wasn’t the only Sixers player to use his power. Philly was also a tougher team in ways that they weren’t in years past.

The best example of this was Paul Reid, who was Embiid’s replacement in the starting line-up. Reid played a career-high 32 minutes on Saturday, and continued to hit the net with offensive glass. The Sixers collected 37 percent on their errors, which is a whopping number, according to Cleaning The Glass. And Reed got eight of them himself.

After the match, Harden flattery Reid for his performance in the second half. And he made sizzling plays, like this offensive rebound and De’Anthony Melton 3-pointer kickoff pass.

But it was not only Reid who created tumultuous plays. Milton played the key minutes in the second half and had a pair of key offensive boards. Jalen McDaniels also gives the Sixers a smooth athleticism on the open court. There is a degree of athleticism, especially off the bench, that the Sixers did not have in previous seasons.

While Saturday was an excellent win, for them the bigger picture is much more questionable. And this is due to the prestige of the best players.

James Harden shot 9 of 34 from two-point range in the series against Brooklyn. Harden doesn’t have the agility to beat defenders like he once did, but he created a decent enough look for himself on Saturday. He just didn’t make any of them.

It was sometimes difficult to watch Harden at work inside the bow, especially on stilts and floats. On this play, one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport cannot convert a layup.

But Embiid’s prestige and the uncertainty created by Rivers’ comments loom above all else. The Sixers’ most important factor in the postseason is the health of their big man. Any series that Embiid doesn’t get right through the lens of trying to win a championship can feel like a loss.

The Sixers will get at least a week off before their next series, most likely against the Boston Celtics. By fielding an inferior opponent in the first round in four matches, they definitely won the fight. Now all eyes are on their ability to win the war.

(Photo by Tobias Harris and Royce O’Neill: Sarah Steer/Getty Images)