What we learned from the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Rockets

PHILADELPHIA — With sixth man Shake Milton unavailable for a fourth straight game, the Philadelphia 76ers were counting on Furkan Korkmaz to provide scoring off the bench Wednesday night.

For a fourth straight game, they didn’t get a whole lot from Korkmaz. He converted 2 of 6 field goal attempts (and was 1 for 4 on 3-pointers) in 16 minutes, making him 5 for 23 from the field and 1 for 13 on 3s with a combined 14 points during that span.

Fortunately for Korkmaz and the Sixers, they were playing the banged-up Houston Rockets and managed an 118-113 victory at the Wells Fargo Center.

Korkmaz’s scoring (7.7 points from 9.8 a year ago), field goal percentage (.377 from .430) and 3-point percentage (.320 from .402) are all down considerably compared to last season.

If he’s not making shots, Korkmaz typically isn’t helping the Sixers much because he’s a mediocre defender. While Doc Rivers doesn’t have a lot of viable options for that spot with Milton sidelined by a sprained left ankle, perhaps it’s time to consider giving rookie Isaiah Joe a longer look. Joe has shooting range (he's hitting .375 of his 3s in 16 games) and is a better defender than Korkmaz.

Korkmaz showed what he can do in the second quarter Wednesday, knocking down a 3-pointer and a driving layup on consecutive possessions and drawing a charging foul on John Wall later in the period. He must do more of that.

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While the Sixers would benefit from a stretch power forward and a veteran point guard to bolster the second unit, there’s no indication the arrival of any reinforcements is imminent, though president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is expected to be active by the March 25 trade deadline.

Even if Korkmaz can regain his regular-season shooting stroke, it’s fair to wonder if he’s capable of being a reliable playoff contributor for a team with championship aspirations. A year ago, Brett Brown only called upon Korkmaz for 39 minutes in the four-game sweep by the Boston Celtics and he missed all seven of his shots (six of them 3-pointers) to finish the series with three points.

If Morey can add, say, veteran point guard George Hill and stretch 4 Nemanja Bjelica, Rivers wouldn't have to play Korkmaz if Korkmaz isn't effective. Milton, defensive stopper Matisse Thybulle and big man Dwight Howard would round out a potential 10-man rotation.

During the 2019-20 regular season, Korkmaz was a legitimate factor. He led the Sixers in made 3-pointers (143) and was the top bench scorer at 9.8 points.

The Sixers need him to regain his form of a year ago, starting with Friday night’s home date against the Chicago Bulls (7:30 on ESPN).

Other observations from Wednesday’s game:

Tobias Harris, point forward

When starter Seth Curry left the floor 3 minutes, 13 seconds into the game with a left hand issue, Rivers had a decision to make. With Ben Simmons (flu-like symptoms) and Milton out, he only had one other healthy point guard in rookie Tyrese Maxey, who was expected to run the offense with the second unit. So Rivers opted to use Tobias Harris as a point forward.

And the Eastern Conference-leading Sixers flourished, outscoring the Rockets 29-10 during the remainder of the opening quarter as Harris compiled 14 points, four assists and no turnovers in the period.

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“We worked on it (earlier Wednesday), ironically,” said Rivers with a laugh afterward. “When Seth went out, we just figured ‘let’s do it.’ And he was fantastic.”

Curry returned late in the first quarter, so Harris, the starting power forward, wasn’t called upon any more to bring the ball up for the remainder of the evening. But Harris hopes to have additional opportunities to initiate the offense.

“It felt good – my natural position,” Harris joked. “For me, it was a chance to have the ball in my hands a little bit in the frontcourt and just see what that could bring for the team in the beginning of the game.”

Finishing the job

The Sixers led the 11-17 Rockets by as many as 29 points (78-49) and held an 18-point advantage early in the fourth quarter, but had to make free throws down the stretch in order to improve their record to 19-10.

The Sixers had eight turnovers and just four made field goals in the final period, when they were outscored 34-22.

“We had a couple turnovers, especially me,” said center Joel Embiid, who finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 turnovers despite a stiff back.

“We had a stretch where at least six possessions in a row (in which) we had nothing going on and they just came back at the other end and started making shots. We just got to learn how to close games when needed (and) relax. There’s a lot to learn, but we got the win.”

Rivers agreed with Embiid’s assessment.

“Just got sloppy,” he said. “It happens. We had a big lead – probably didn’t have a lot left in the tank (after the four-game road trip). … Our offense – the turnovers and things – was the only way this became a game.”

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly