If the wins can keep coming while Nick Nurse tinkers, he'll certainly take it

There's a time to tinker, and a time to stay the course. With all of the moving parts throughout the season, Sixers coach Nick Nurse hasn't really even had a course to stay on. But as health rounds into shape and the postseason comes ever closer, Nurse does find himself with some wiggle room.

It was never more evident than on Friday when his team hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two teams that are trying to improve their playoff status put together a first half that they'd soon rather forget. In the first quarter, the two teams combined to shoot 14 for 52 (26.9 percent from the floor). The Sixers turned the ball over five times in the first 12 minutes. Joel Embiid missed seven of his eight shots as Minnesota led 19-17.

Minnesota rode the hot-shooting of Bones Hyland (14 points) in the second quarter to build out an ugly 47-41 lead at the break as the Sixers starters shot 10-for-29 from the floor, including 1-for-10 from three-point range. The teams got better offensively in the third and exchanged the lead a few times.

Then came Nurse's bold move that really turned the table on the game. He sent reserve center Andre Drummond to the scorer's table to give Embiid a blow late in the third. But while Drummond waited, Embiid hit a three to give the team a one-point lead. With 2:04 left in the quarter, Nurse instead subbed Drummond for Dominick Barlow, giving the Sixers a twin towers look. That spurred an 11-1 run for the Sixers and an 83-71 lead heading into the fourth, which they rode out to a 115-103 win to improve to 43-34. The victory enabled them to hold on to the sixth seed in the East.

"I had an idea of doing it tonight because they usually have a couple of bigs in there," Nurse said of having Embiid and Drummond together. "It was kind of presenting itself. I was getting ready to put Drum in and then Joe, as Drum was waiting to go in for him, hit a couple of back-to-back shots. I just decided to flip that. So it wasn't totally against some pregame thoughts and it just kind of presented itself there. It's one of those lineups that I've kind of been wanting to look at a little bit here down the stretch here.

"Joel was excellent on the defensive glass. Drum just gave him just enough help there for a stretch and cleaned up some rebounding. And Drum was up on the screen-and-rolls, getting his hands in there. He's got good hands."

All in all, it was a real team win. Embiid got over his early struggles to finish the night with 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Paul George continued his strong run of performances, hitting key baskets on his way to 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey engineered a big third quarter for the Sixers by scoring 17 of his 21 in the frame. And Kelly Oubre Jr. came off the bench for 21 points, including a 16-point fourth.

"I think we kind of started to rev our engines in the third," said Oubre. "I think we played a good mix of offense and defense, but for us, defense is kind of the catalyst for getting us going offensively so we can get easy buckets and not have to play in the half court. We have a lot of wiry defenders so we are able to switch one through four and have Joe just be our anchor. We did a better job in the second half than the first of keeping the ball in front. They weren't able to get angles, they weren't able to get wide-open threes. Whatever group was out there, we're long enough and versatile enough to be able to guard anybody up."

Friday was the 12th consecutive game that Oubre has come off the bench for Nurse after being a starter most of the season. The reasoning a few weeks ago was because he was coming off an elbow injury. Now, Nurse seems to be favoring his spark off the bench while still getting starter's minutes.

"Mentally, yes," said Oubre about the adjustment to being a sub. "I like to set the tone but at the end of the day that's above me. I'm still a hooper, so I just go out there and hoop. Every night is a little different as far as what comes your way and what doesn't. I'm locked in and I want to do what I can to help this team win. Since I've been here I've been a swiss army knife, being able to just pull anything out the pocket. We'll continue to just take it day-by-day and just figure it out."

It is another area where Nurse has tinkered. He has been starting Dominick Barlow where Oubre used to be, and if Barlow (seven points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) can continue what he did Friday, and Oubre keeps doing what he's doing, it may be pretty well set. That may be a pretty good thing with the postseason starting them in the face.

"We have a ton of potential," said George. "We're just shaping up to what we could be. I think we are building good habits and finding consistency.

NOTES

Asked if there's a possibility that he could play on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, Embiid said: "There's a chance. I don't know. I guess these guys decide to let me play or not, so, whatever they tell me."... George said he would see how he felt Saturday morning before knowing whether he will be able to go on Saturday, but said he expects to play... Minnesota started out the game making just four of its first 26 shots... George is averaging 27 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists in his five games since returning from his 25-game suspension... The Sixers overcame a double-digit deficit for a win for the 12th time this season... After hosting Detroit on Saturday, the Sixers will play at San Antonio on Monday, at Houston on Thursday and at Indiana on Friday before closing out the season Sunday, April 12 against the Milwaukee Bucks.