The Sixers Game 1 matchup against the Washington Wizards was a classic grind-it-out playoff game. The Philadelphia 76ers came out with the win thanks in large part to the breakout game from Tobias Harris.
Harris ended with 37 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, two turnovers, and two turnovers. He shot 15-29 from the field, 2-5 on 3-pointers, and he made all five of his foul shots. He was the team’s leading scorer and helped keep the 76ers afloat while Joel Embiid struggled with foul issues in the first half.
Harris is clearly the player of the game for this first matchup, but the question becomes, can he continue this hot start for the rest of this series and for the playoffs as a whole?
Can Harris continue this hot streak for the Sixers?
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If the question is can he average 30-plus points per game for the rest of the playoffs, then the answer is probably not. Embiid’s not going to be in foul trouble in each game moving forward and Philly’s MVP candidate will be the primary focus on offense when he’s on the court.
That being written, is it possible that Harris can average around 22 points? Yes, that is possible, he did it during the month of March this season. Now he’s not done well in the playoffs in the past and that’s why he was one of the players I had on my list of who has something to prove this postseason.
Yet, he’s proven himself thus far but he has to continue to do it and it continues in this first round. I wrote on how his matchup against Rui Hachimura was important in this first round and I’ve been proven right up to this point. If Harris can continue to take advantage of Hachimura’s poor defense, then he can continue having a big series.
Harris probably won’t be averaging over 30-points per game for this series or in the postseason as a whole. However, he could step up his scoring during these playoffs for the Sixers.