As the Detroit Pistons look to lock up a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals during their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, one player for the Motor City has been quietly lighting up the scoreboard. That would be former Tennessee Vol and 15-year NBA veteran Tobias Harris.
The 6-foot-8 forward is in his second year with Detroit and helped the Pistons capture the 1-seed in the East this season. And while the Pistons still have a battle on their hands with a 2-2 series against the Cavaliers, Harris has been a key figure for Detroit in the playoffs.
Harris averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over 63 regular-season games. In the playoffs, though, two of those numbers have seen a significant rise. In 11 playoff games so far, Harris is averaging 20.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest while spending more than 36 minutes on the court per game.
The former Vol has scored 20 or more points in eight of the Pistons’ 11 postseason games so far, with a high of 30 points in Game 7 against the Orlando Magic in the previous round. While Harris only had 16 points during Monday’s Game 4 loss to the Cavs, he still nearly had a double-double with eight rebounds. There wasn’t much that Detroit could do against Donovan Mitchell’s historic showing, either.
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The Pistons will need the 33-year-old forward to continue his elevated scoring. Not just to close out this series against the Cavs, but also if they want to knock off the red-hot New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, too. He’s been a key postseason figure for Detroit in the scoring department, but he’s also been limiting his fouls and turnovers.
Detroit was down 3-1 in their opening round against the Magic, but came back to win the series after rattling off three straight wins. The Pistons will need another big comeback in their current series. Detroit won the first two games against the Cavs, but has since dropped two straight. The series will now move to a critical Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Tobias Harris is one of three former Tennessee hoopers still alive in the playoffs after Dalton Knecht’s elimination with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Rookie Chaz Lanier is a teammate of Harris’ on the Pistons, while Julian Phillips is a backup player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently knotted at a 2-2 series with the San Antonio Spurs.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more on Tennessee’s players in the NBA Playoffs.
