Why 76ers Benched Tobias Harris Late vs. Bucks

Doc Rivers explained his reasoning for benching Tobias Harris in the closing quarter against the Bucks.

On Sunday night, the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Milwaukee Bucks, hoping to extend their two-game winning streak.

Granted, this wouldn't happen as the Bucks came out in the opening half, playing some efficient basketball, scoring 69 points on 67 percent shooting.

Their 16-point lead entering halftime was an all-around effort from their starting lineup, with four of the five starters putting up double-digit numbers.

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were among the only Sixers to get started in the first half, as the team struggled on the offensive end, turning the ball over seven times.

Despite their early struggles, Maxey came out of the gates hot in the third quarter, scoring 13 points across the 12 minutes to help bring Philadelphia back within the game.

However, the Sixers would fall apart again in the fourth quarter as the game started to get more out of reach, with Doc Rivers pulling his starters with minutes left to go.

One starter who sat through the entirety of the fourth quarter was Tobias Harris, who returned to action on Sunday after sitting out earlier in the week with a non-COVID-related illness.

After the game, Rivers explained his reasoning behind benching their veteran forward, easing any concerns about any potential injury.

"I just thought the lead was away. He had just come back from injury. There was no reason to put him back in," Rivers told reporters.

Harris had a rather quiet game against his former team, scoring six points while dishing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds.

Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.

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