The Philadelphia 76ers needed to return to form yesterday against the Boston Celtics. After two straight losses to fall behind 2-1 in the series, Joel Embiid and James Harden delivered to give the Sixers a thrilling 116-115 overtime victory to send the series back to Boston tied 2-2 on Tuesday night. 

The Sixers jumped out to an early lead and it remained that way throughout the first half until Boston came storming back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Sixers 24-15 in the final frame. 

Luckily, Harden’s vintage performance and a clutch floater sent the game into overtime, where he would eventually knock down the game winning three to even the series. 

Originally tweeted by The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) on May 7, 2023.

In the fourth quarter, yet again, we witnessed the impact that PJ Tucker has on the Sixers. While it may not always show up in the box score, Tucker has remained extremely vocal on the court, which is exactly what the Sixers needed yesterday in a tight, chaotic fourth quarter to eventually win the game. 

Still nursing a sprained right knee, Joel Embiid played 46 minutes yesterday in a must-win game, scoring 34 points to go along with 13 rebounds, four assists and a steal while shooting 11-of-26 from the floor. Embiid was clearly gassed in the fourth quarter and really didn’t have his legs underneath him in the final minutes of the game which caused a few shots to be blocked. 

That prompted PJ Tucker to go over to his MVP center and share a few words with him with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter and the Sixers down 1-point.

“Nobody can guard Jo one-on-one; there’s no way.”

PJ Tucker tracks down Joel Embiid to share a few words with a minute left in the 4th quarter

From there, Embiid had four of the nine points the Sixers scored in overtime to help guide his team to the 116-115 overtime victory against the Celtics. 

Following the game, Embiid spoke to reporters about Tucker and the “conversation” they had late in the fourth quarter. 

Joel Embiid: “[Tucker] just got on me.”

Originally tweeted by NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) on May 7, 2023.

PJ Tucker also spoke after the game, telling reporters that “no one can guard Joel” and after seeing Embiid not take control during two-three plays in a row, the Sixers “can’t have that” so he wanted to step in and remind him what needed to be done to win the game with the season on the line.

PJ Tucker on Conversation with Joel Embiid in the 4th Quarter

“Nobody can guard Jo one-on-one; there’s no way,” Tucker said, sharing what he told Embiid. “I’m sorry, it’s not any disrespect to Al [Horford] or anybody else, but I’ve guarded [Embiid] for a lot of years, and when he’s aggressive and assertive, it’s impossible.

“I saw him two plays in a row not do that, and we can’t have that. Not with the season on the line, we can’t have that.”

PJ Tucker was obviously correct. Embiid, while exhausted and nursing an injury, played a miserable fourth quarter and the message here from Tucker clear. Embiid needs to step it up and keep the motor moving in a do-or-die game with the season on the line. Anything other than that is completely unacceptable.

It’s no secret that the Sixers have lacked this type of “dog” and veteran leadership over the past few seasons in the playoffs.

Doc Rivers commented on that following the Game 4 win.

“You know the biggest difference,” Doc Rivers said after the game. “There was a guy named P.J. Tucker on Miami [last year]. There’s a guy named P.J. Tucker on our team now.”

We saw the same from Tucker in Game 1 against the Celtics, with him chewing out Paul Reed on the bench after the Celtics grabbed consecutive rebounds late in the game.

PJ Tucker Chewing Out Paul Reed in Game 1 vs Celtics

Note: There were also reports of Tucker doing the same to Reed in the Brooklyn series.

The takeaway here is the fact that PJ Tucker doesn’t give a shit if you’re Paul Reed or the MVP of the NBA. If you’re not playing the way you should be when it’s a must-win game, he’s going to let you hear it and rightfully so.

That’s the reason PJ Tucker was brought to Philadelphia. He embraces that role and it’s something that the Sixers desperately needed after not having that type of leadership over the past few seasons in the playoffs.

The result yesterday was a thrilling 116-115 overtime victory to send the series back to Boston tied 2-2 on Tuesday night. 

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