BOSTON — It felt fitting that Danuel House Jr. had essentially zero details about the job in front of him.
Entering Game 5 of the Sixers’ second-round playoff series against the Celtics, head coach Doc Rivers apparently offered the 29-year wing an uncomplicated preview.
“To be honest with you, he really didn’t tell me,” House said after the Sixers took a 3-2 series lead with a comprehensive win at TD Garden. “Yeah, he told me a role, but he just told me, ‘Go in and play.’ My job is to bring energy for the team, guard the yard, and make sure I’m executing plays.”
Boxes checked.
For the Sixers’ first eight playoff games, House’s energy was almost exclusively present on the sidelines and in the locker room. He’s a rapper and Dr. Pepper enthusiast seemingly glad to share a few cents on anything — college basketball programs, fast food options, NBA contract structures — and constantly on the verge of a wisecrack. In terms of game action, there wasn’t much on his plate for a while.
After mulling over the Sixers’ rotation with a group of assistant coaches he’s lauded at every opportunity, Rivers decided Tuesday night to trust himself most. Instead of sticking with an eight-man rotation, sliding Jalen McDaniels back into the mix, or trying an alternative like Shake Milton, Rivers played House his first real rotation minutes in exactly one month.
He got what he envisioned (and perhaps more). House defended Malcolm Brogdon well, scored 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting, and looked quite comfortable next to fellow former Rocket James Harden.
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“Listen, you go with your gut,” Rivers said. “I can tell you we talked about it painstakingly yesterday and today — between three guys, who to play. And I can tell you House was not the pick. But I just picked him.
“I thought we needed size and we needed athleticism, and that’s something he has. I also thought that he’s the guy who’s played with James the most, and he knows how to play with James. So I thought that was important.”
Of course, House’s cardio was not the best it’s ever been. Rivers was confused to see House make an “X” gesture with his arms.
“Danuel House gave me the European signal for substitution, which the whole locker room got a kick out of because I didn’t know what it was,” Rivers said. “He walked over to me and was doing this (‘X’ gesture). And we have an ‘X’ play, so I’m thinking, ‘X play.’ And he said, ‘No, I can’t breathe.’
“We got to laugh about it. … He was fantastic tonight, but everyone who played was fantastic.”
In a game with far greater stakes than his regular 1-on-1 matchups with player development associate coach Reggie Redding, how did House manage to produce through the burning lungs?
“I want to win and I can’t let my brothers down to the left and right,” House said. “My name was called, so I had to step up. And guys have been doing a good job of showcasing ‘We season.’ So I wanted to get up in there and just contribute to the ‘We season’ that we’ve been carrying on this whole season.
“Going up in there and focusing on getting stops was No. 1. Doc called me to guard, so I just want to make sure … that I’m in my coverages, in the spots that I need to be for my teammates so that we can keep executing, keep pushing the ball, and keep winning games.”
House’s athleticism and full-steam-ahead style are indeed strengths in transition.
He’s no one-tool player, though. Rivers acknowledged on March 31 that House is “a way better passer than we thought off the dribble.” While House has often demonstrated that skill when handling the ball on a fast break or after pump faking a jumper and driving downhill, those Houston years next to Harden were also conducive to development with screening, rolling, popping, and short-roll playmaking.
Early in the fourth quarter, House screened for Harden, caught a behind-the-back pass, took one dribble into the core of the Celtics’ defense, and threw an on-time, on-target dish to Tyrese Maxey for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer.
Harden highlighted House’s intelligence and basketball instincts.
“Just smart,” the 10-time All-Star said. “There’s things that you don’t have to tell him; he already knows. There’s a play that I can (remember) off the top off my head: They’re fronting Joel (Embiid) and I think Derrick White is pressuring Tyrese.
“And Danuel House runs from the opposite corner, flashes, and then runs into a ball screen. … I think Tyrese threw the ball to Joel and it was a bad pass, but Danuel House was open in the middle of the floor. If he would’ve caught it, he would’ve gotten a layup or P.J. (Tucker) would’ve been in the corner for an open three. Those plays right there where you don’t have to tell somebody to do it, they just automatically (do it), that’s good basketball.”
Whenever House is thrown out there, Harden is appreciative that he has a variety of skills with a decent chance of being useful.
“He knows his role in this league,” Harden said. “Obviously, he can make a shot, but he’s really good at finishing, he’s a really good defender. A guy that can do multiple things fits anywhere on any team. And I’m happy that he’s on our team.”
Before the Sixers’ regular-season opener in Boston, House said in an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia that he’s innately adaptable. However, he’s been highly incentivized to enhance that talent. The Houston native has lived a well-traveled, sometimes bumpy basketball life so far.
“I’ve had to bounce around, so I had to adapt to the new environment,” House told NBC Sports Philadelphia on Oct. 18. “And if I was there in that environment for six months and then went to a new environment, then I had to evolve and adapt to that environment instantly. I had to pick up and keep going, and adapt real, real fast.”
Six seasons ago, House wore a Delaware 87ers uniform. Three seasons ago, he left the NBA’s Disney World bubble after a league investigation found he had an unauthorized guest in his hotel room.
As this year began, House was grateful for his situation and cognizant of how he was perceived as a teammate.
“You’ve just got to go through the mud to achieve the glory,” he said on opening night. “I just wanted to show that I revamped my character, controlling the narrative this year, because a lot of people had a lot of things to say about me. So I wanted to control that this year. Make sure that I’m embodied in showing people that I’m a part of the organization and the team.”
He grabbed a bit of glory Tuesday night and clearly had a great time in the process.
“It was a joy to be out there, to be honest,” House said. “And to play with someone that’s (familiar) with your game, it’s only a bigger plus. I was happy about that tonight.”