Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has never been shy about speaking his mind. With the Celtics looking to sweep the Philadelphia 76ers, Pierce figured he would throw salt in the wound for Sixers fans.
Before Sunday's Game 4 between the two teams, Pierce joked he could match Tobias Harris' production for the kind of money the Sixers threw his way this past offseason:
Paul Pierce on Tobias Harris' performance in the playoffs to date: "If they gave me $180 million, I could give you 12 points, 13 points in an NBA game right now"
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) August 23, 2020
The Sixers made several splashes this offseason, signing both Harris and Ben Simmons to massive extensions and signing Al Horford away from Boston.
But with Simmons out for the remainder of the playoffs due to a knee injury, the Sixers have desperately needed Harris to be a playmaker and second scoring option alongside star big man Joel Embiid.
However, Harris has struggled to produce consistent results so far.
The former Tennessee product had a decent performance in Game 1 of the series, scoring 15 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists. But his last two performances were rather ghastly.
Harris shot just 4-for-14 in Game 2, finishing the contest a minus-21 in terms of plus-minus. He hardly performed any better in Game 3, shooting 6-for-19 from the field and 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
In fact, Harris had not made a single 3-point attempt in the series entering Game 4.
Harris was having a much better game on Sunday. The 28-year-old finished the first half with 12 points and three rebounds, and he also made two of his three triples.
However, it might be too little, too late for the Sixers. In spite of Harris' improved offensive performance, Philly led Boston by just one point at the half.
The Sixers will have to fight for their playoff lives from here on out, or else start pondering their offseason decisions while enduring Pierce's constant chastising.
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