The Philadelphia sports world is always active and the 19th edition of the Philly Sports Stat of the Week will be no different. Statistics are all around us when indulging in sports. This week I found an interesting and most likely meaningless statistic but we’re here for content, right? Right. Tobias Harris please come and accept your first Philly Sports Stat of the Week award. 

Philly Sports Stat of the Week: Tobias Harris was a team-best +40 in the blowout 116-91 win over the Chicago Bulls. The +40 is his career-high and the second time he did it this season. Harris accomplished this feat on 1/10 against the Pistons in a 147-116 win.

For context and for those that don’t know, plus-minus was first introduced for statistical upkeep in 2007-2008. Plus-minus for those that don’t know is the point differential of when a player is on/off the court. The statistic does its best to best quantify with simple math to determine who has been the most valuable to their team having a better score. It relatively displays how a cog in the machine contributes to a team. 

Higher than Michael Jordan’s career-high of +34, Joel Embiid’s +36, and Kawhi Leonard’s +39. James Harden has the highest plus-minus on the current as his career high is +50. His career-high plus-minus was posted in his 60-point game in a 158-111 Rockets win over the Atlanta Hawks. Former Sixers player Lucky Mbah a Mouse posted the highest-single game plus-minus at +57 in a 125-95 Houston Rockets win over the Denver Nuggets on 11/22/2017. 

Honorable Mentions: Conversational Stats 

The honorable mentions will be dedicated to giving anyone who reads this site a stat to store in the back of their mind. I don’t like to assume but I tend to assume that anyone who reads this site is most likely the ‘sports person’ for someone in their life. I’m doing my small part to help you look smarter for anyone that thinks you are in fact a walking sports almanac and know everything about the sports world. 

Honorable Mention #1: Miami’s guard Isaiah Wong went to Monsignor Bonner that is in the surrounding Philly, Drexel Hill. Wong has posted 32 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 37% from the field and 57% from behind the three-point line in 71 minutes so far in the NCAA Tournament for the Hurricanes. 

Honorable Mention #2: Wooga Poplar, a sophomore guard from the University of Miami has posted 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 37.5% percent from 3 in 45 minutes in the NCAA Tournament so far. This is noteworthy because Poplar went to Math, Civics, and Sciences Charter School. Poplar and his teammate Wong will face the Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16 at 7:15 pm ET tonight, Friday, March 24th. 

Honorable Mention #3: Trea Turner hit an epic grand slam in the 8th inning to put the USA over Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic on Sunday 3/19. J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber added 3 hits and two runs scored in the 9-7 win. Representing those red Phillies pinstripes well. 

Honorable Mention #4: In the USA’s 3-2 finals loss to Japan on Tuesday 3/21, the Phillies’ trio combined for 4 of the team’s 9 hits. Including Turner and Schwarber hitting two solo shots. 

Honorable Mention #5: Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris combined for 82 points and shot 73% in the 141-121 3/18 win on Saturday night (31, 31, 24).

Honorable Mention #6:James Harden scored his lowest amount of points in a game (5) on Monday 3/20 against the Bulls since his 5-point game as a Net ironically against the Bulls on 5/15/21.

Honorable Mention #7: The Philadelphia Union in MLS play on Saturday 3/18 lost 3-2 to CF Montreal. The loss leaves the Union sixth in the Eastern Conference early in the season.


Honorable Mention #8: The Flyers picked up their second shootout win of the season with Thursday’s 5-4 over the 4th best team in the Western Conference Minnesota wild.