Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey believes his game reached a new level this season after the Sixers acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets.

Speaking to Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports, Maxey said he felt he "blossomed" when Harden arrived in terms of knowing when to be aggressive as a scorer and playmaker:

The 21-year-old Maxey took a massive leap forward in his second NBA season, averaging 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 three-pointers made per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from beyond the arc.

His performance this season was made even more impressive by the fact that he averaged just 8.0 points and 2.0 assists per game as a rookie after the 76ers selected him 21st overall in the 2020 NBA draft out of Kentucky.

Philadelphia made the trade for Harden just ahead of the deadline in February, sending Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets.

There was some concern about how Harden and Maxey would co-exist in the Sixers backcourt, but their skill sets seemed to mesh well.

From the time Harden made his 76ers debut on Feb. 25 through the remainder of the regular season, Maxey averaged 18.7 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 three-pointers per contest.

Maxey also raised his level of play during the postseason, averaging 20.8 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 trifectas made.

The Sixers experienced a disappointing second-round playoff exit for the second year in a row and fourth time in five years, but there is reason for optimism moving forward.

In addition to Maxey and his constant improvement, the Sixers boast a dominant center in Joel Embiid, who finished second in the NBA MVP voting this season.

The biggest immediate question mark for Philly is the status of Harden, who could opt out of his contract this offseason, become a free agent and sign elsewhere.

Other possibilities include Harden opting in for next season or the 76ers signing him to a new contract that spans multiple years.

The fact that Maxey actually seemed to play a bit better after Harden's arrival could convince the Sixers to keep him in the fold, but even if Harden leaves, the combo of Maxey and Embiid gives them a chance to be successful for many years to come.

Tyrese Maxey has emerged as one of the NBA's brightest young stars in just his second season, serving as a crucial player for the Philadelphia 76ers as they seek a championship. 

But Maxey told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that he never expected to be on the board in the 2020 NBA draft when Philly drafted him No. 21 overall:

"I thought Miami would take me at No. 20. Look, I was blessed and happy to be drafted, first and foremost. I thank the Lord every day for this opportunity. It was my dream to be drafted. But also looking at it as a competitor, I felt like I was good enough to be drafted at a higher position. When teams pass up on you, you never forget about it.

"Miami, Orlando and San Antonio. Those were the three teams I thought would draft me. When I started slipping, I was upset, but I kept reminding myself that my dream of getting drafted was coming true."

The Spurs instead drafted Devin Vassell No. 11 overall, while the Magic took Cole Anthony at No. 15 and the Heat selected Precious Achiuwa at No. 20. With all due respect to those players, the Spurs and Heat would probably like a mulligan. 

In fact, outside of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Anthony Edwards at No. 1), Charlotte Hornets (LaMelo Ball at No. 3) and Sacramento Kings (Tyrese Haliburton at No. 12)—and maybe the Detroit Pistons (Saddiq Bey at No. 19), Chicago Bulls (Patrick Williams at No. 4) and the aforementioned Magic—quite a few teams from that draft would undoubtedly like a second chance to go back and nab Maxey.

"I don't really think about that yet," Maxey told Haynes about where he might go if the 2020 draft was redone. "I just take everything day-by-day. I'm always watching all my draft peers to check up on them and make sure they're doing great. But I'm just glad to be here, honestly. I'm extremely excited when I got drafted and I really do appreciate the organization for giving me this opportunity."

The 21-year-old averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game during the 2021-22 season, shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 42.7 percent from three and 86.6 percent from the free-throw line. He is a blur in transition, an excellent finisher at the basket and his dramatic improvement as a shooter—he shot 30.1 percent from three as a rookie—has opened up his half-court scoring.

After primarily coming off the bench for the Sixers as a rookie, Maxey started 74 games for the Sixers in the regular season, a necessity when Ben Simmons remained away from the team while he demanded a trade. 

If Maxey remains on his current career trajectory, Simmons' decision to not play for the Sixers this past season before he was dealt to Brooklyn might wind up being blessing in disguise in the long term. The extra playing time for the former Kentucky guard revealed a star in the making. 

And falling to Philadelphia benefitted Maxey as well. As his agent Rich Paul said to him while he slipped in the draft, "fit over pick."

"He explained that where you're drafted at is more important than the number you're drafted at," Maxey told Haynes. "And I think that really helped me and my mindset. You want to be somewhere where you can play right away, a place where you're in the right system, the right situation with the right type of guys. And Rich knowing me, he knew I liked to win. So I’m thankful to be in a place where I can be competitive and help a team win a championship right away."

So are the Sixers. 

The Philadelphia 76ers avoided going down 3-0 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Miami Heat with a 99-79 win on Friday at the Wells Fargo Center, and it was largely thanks to 21-year-old point guard Tyrese Maxey.

The Sixers led by double digits about midway through the third quarter, but the Heat managed to close the gap to face just a three-point deficit heading into the fourth. In the final frame, Maxey made his presence felt.

After scoring just seven points through the first three quarters, Maxey went off for 14 points in the fourth on 5-of-5 shooting with four triples. His energy and youthful enthusiasm clearly sparked the Sixers as they closed out the game.

Fans online couldn't help but to heap praise on Maxey for saving Philadelphia from facing the possibility of a sweep.

Maxey's 21 points tied with Danny Green for a team high. Sixers star center Joel Embiid had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his first game back from a concussion and facial injuries. James Harden had another quiet performance with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and seven turnovers.

In his second season out of Kentucky, Maxey emerged as a key player for the Sixers amid Ben Simmons' absence prior to getting traded in a package for Harden. Maxey made a jump from averaging 8.0 points as a rookie to 17.5 points this year while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 42.7 percent from three-point range. He's now averaging 24.7 points in the conference semifinals.

It feels like Philadelphia still has another step to take if it hopes to get past the top-seeded Heat. But Friday's win was a step in the right direction, and it's clear that the Sixers need Maxey to bring it every night if they hope to pull off the upset.

Small sample sizes can be the enemy of clarity for NBA teams. They are hotbeds for anomalies and illusions. Every so often, though, tiny and immediate morsels of playing time yield results worth taking seriously, serving as reinforcements of the obvious.

This is all to say: The James Harden-era Philadelphia 76ers will be a problem.

The biggest, baddest, winningest problem in the Eastern Conference, perhaps.

Three wins into Harden's tenure alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and crew have hinted at this much. All of them have come against unspectacular teams, including Wednesday night's 123-108 victory over the sad-and-sorry New York Knicks, who Philly has enjoyed the pleasure of beating twice over the past four days. But the Sixers are not juuust getting by through this stretch. Their three wins with Harden have come by at least 15 points.

And anyway, the instantaneous synergy and balance the offense has struck is more important than the level of competition it has come against. Some were concerned the Harden-Embiid connection, specifically, would need an extensive grace period. Harden, after all, doesn't have experience playing beside a ball-dominant big man who prefers to pop and post-up and face-up rather than roll.

Superstar talent has a way of figuring things out, especially over time. It appears Philly's megastar duo won't need any of the latter. 

Though Harden has thrown some passes that suggest the dynamic will need the slightest of learning curves, he doesn't look uncomfortable or out of place beside Embiid. If anything, he seems to be basking in the functional simplicity Embiid provides. 

More than half of The Process' 24 made baskets over the past three games have come off dimes from The Beard (13). Harden no longer needs to work as hard to table-set coming around high ball-screens. Embiid can catch tosses from behind the three-point line or with more space between him and the basket inside the arc.

Getting rid of the ball earlier ensures Harden's downhill attacks don't always need to last as long—or take place at all. Teensy sample in mind, he has gone from averaging 15.8 drives per 36 minutes with the Brooklyn Nets to fewer than 11 in a Sixers uniform.

Maxey has also streamlined the offensive transition for the new-age Sixers, and not just because he affords Harden a backcourt partner who actually plays in home games. His speed off the catch has given Harden a dangerous outlet away from the ball. And Maxey, for his part, seems to be reveling at the opportunity to operate in a more complementary capacity.

The relative lack of directionality on his drives is a non-issue when he's attacking more wide-open spaces, and he's thoroughly capitalizing on higher shot quality. Fewer than 49 percent of his looks were coming with a defender more than four feet away prior to Harden's debut. That share exploded above 75 percent entering Wednesday.

Playing all three of Embiid, Harden and Maxey together is so far akin to a cheat code that should have 29 other defenses on tilt:

Philly still has questions to answer looking ahead to the postseason and how it matches up with the East's other heavyweights. Almost all of them lie on the defensive end. The Sixers are sixth in points allowed per possession over the past three games but look a combination of slow and inattentive on the perimeter for dribs and drabs and are registering the foul rate to prove it.

Their backup-big rotation will remain an issue following the departure of Andre Drummond. Signing DeAndre Jordan probably isn't the answer. Continuing to rely on Paul Millsap isn't, either—unless he turns back the clock at least two years and, so long as he's warping space and time, figures out how to grow another two to four inches. The idea of Furkan Korkmaz postseason minutes is also pretty harrowing.

Still, the Sixers have already answered plenty of other questions that carry equal weight. 

Head coach Doc Rivers has cobbled together a rotation that will always have one of Embiid and Harden on the floor. Tethering Maxey to the solo-Embiid minutes and Tobias Harris to the Harden-only runs makes a world of sense. 

There has been a surprisingly faster cadence to how the Sixers play, as well. They were 27th in average offensive possession time before Harden's debut, according to Inpredictable. They have been noticeably quicker since.

Matisse Thybulle looks at home and doesn't feel like an offensive liability when surrounded by so much dynamite. He is shooting 37.5 percent on super-mega-ultra wide-open triples the past three games while ducking between preoccupied defenses for gimme conversions at the basket.

In the end, though, the new-look Sixers never needed to make good on granular details or disprove what were always bloated concerns right away. Immediately, they turned Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and Ben Simmons' vacant rotation spot into the gives-a-damn-again version of James Harden. (Draft equity doesn't win games or contend for titles in the here and now.)

And in doing so, they may have forged the league's best superstar duo—a pair of might-be top-five players working in concert with a viable, still-ascending No. 3 option (Maxey).

Officially, then, the Sixers have exited "Will this work?" territory, insofar as they were ever actually in it. They are now—and will remain—in the thick of the Eastern Conference title race.

They might even already be at the tippy top of it.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass and accurate entering Thursday's games. Salary information via Spotrac.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by NBA Math's Adam Fromal.

The 2021-22 Philadelphia 76ers have finally conquered the hapless New York Knicks.

Philadelphia defeated New York 125-109 in Sunday's Eastern Conference game at Madison Square Garden and improved to 37-23 with a third straight victory. James Harden, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey led the way for the visitors, who lost the first two meetings against the Knicks this season but controlled crunch time in this matchup.

Solid showings from Evan Fournier, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle weren't enough for New York, which fell to 25-36 overall and 1-9 in the last 10 after a fifth consecutive loss.

Notable Player Stats

• James Harden, G, PHI: 29 PTS, 16 AST, 10 REB, 5 STL
• Joel Embiid, C, PHI: 37 PTS, 9 REB, 4 BLK, 3 AST
• Tyrese Maxey, G, PHI: 21 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
• Evan Fournier, G, NYK: 24 PTS, 6-of-11 3PT
• RJ Barrett, G, NYK: 24 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL
• Julius Randle, F, NYK: 16 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST
• Immanuel Quickley, G, NYK: 21 PTS, 5 REB

Harden and Embiid Put on a Show in Win

The Harden show came to New York on Sunday, and it came with plenty of hype.

After all, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters there's "no question" the 76ers have one of the best lineups in the league after adding the 10-time All-Star, and Embiid said, "That was probably the most wide open I've ever been in my career" after playing with Harden during Friday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The show continued against the Knicks with Harden notching a double-double in the first half alone with step-back threes, dimes to Embiid and Maxey and even multiple steals on the defensive end.

Never was Harden's impact clearer than a sequence in the first quarter when he created dunks for Embiid on back-to-back possessions first with a pick-and-roll and then with a behind-the-back pass in transition. Throw in the big man drawing MVP chants on the road as he went to the line for 15 free throws in the first half, and it was largely smooth sailing for the 76ers in the early going.

It wasn't all great thanks to Tobias Harris' struggles that turned into frustration and a technical foul in the second half, but Maxey helped make up for it as a third star with his shooting and motor on both ends of the floor.

Still, Harris' issues and the overall lack of offensive depth outside of the Harden, Embiid and Maxey trio was a concern as was the defense as the Knicks came charging back to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

Yet talent won out in dramatic fashion in crunch time as Embiid continued to get to the line and took advantage of Harden's passing with a transition dunk. Add in monster threes from Harris and Maxey while Harden was in full control of seemingly every possession, and the 76ers left no doubt who the better team was at winning time.

Comeback Effort Falls Short for Knicks

Urgency was to be expected from the Knicks on Sunday considering they entered play four games back of the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with an upcoming seven-game road trip looming.

And they provided some quick reason for optimism, including Jericho Sims' willingness to battle Embiid on the defensive end. The rookie had double-digit rebounds in the first half, blocked Embiid at the rim and provided a source of energy that has largely been missing from the rotation.

Fournier found his stroke from the outside, Cam Reddish provided a spark off the bench, and Barrett and Randle at least got to the free-throw line in attack mode even if they didn't consistently take advantage on the stripe.

Still, New York was down nine at the half and fell behind by double digits in large part because its defense had no chance for extended stretches against the star power on the other end.

It would have been easy to fold in the middle of a losing streak as the Harden, Embiid and Maxey trio continued to play well, but the Knicks battled back instead. Fournier took over as a scorer at times, Quickley extended the momentum with a steal and three, Randle started facilitating, and the deficit was down to just two heading into the fourth quarter.

Quickley continued to roll by attacking the rim as New York took the lead in that final frame, but that momentum came to a screeching halt when Sims and Mitchell Robinson both fouled out as the frontcourt failed to contain Embiid without contact.

The Knicks suddenly didn't have even a resemblance of an answer for Embiid and couldn't contain the big man down the stretch as the lead and game slipped away.                     

What's Next?

These Atlantic Division teams play again in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

James Harden made his Philadelphia 76ers debut Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he did not disappoint in a 133-102 win at Target Center to help the team to improve to 36-23.

Harden's debut officially marks a new era in Philadelphia. The Sixers acquired Harden at the trade deadline earlier this month in a deal that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets, but he had been sidelined with a hamstring injury, missing four games. 

Philadelphia went 3-1 in Harden's absence, including a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks before the All-Star break. With the three-time scoring champion now on the floor alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are looking like one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. 

Notable Stats

James Harden, SG, PHI: 27 PTS, 8 REB, 12 AST

Karl-Anthony Towns, C, MIN: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST

Joel Embiid, C, PHI: 34 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL

Anthony Edwards, SF, MIN: 15 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

Tyrese Maxey, PG, PHI: 28 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 4 STL

D'Angelo Russell, PG, MIN: 21 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST

James Harden Makes Immediate Impact in Sixers Debut

Harden's 76ers debut couldn't have gone any better, and his connection with Joel Embiid was on full display. 

Despite Harden returning from a hamstring injury with a new team and new system, he excelled and made it look like he has been playing for the Sixers the entire season.

The 32-year-old finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists in Friday's win. He made seven of 12 shots from the floor and five of seven shots from deep in what was one of his better performances of late. 

Even before Harden made his 76ers debut, many were talking about the connection he could potentially build with Embiid. Both players are dominant scorers, but Embiid does most of his work from mid-range and in the post, while Harden is a great perimeter scorer. 

Embiid and Harden have likely been working on their rapport from the minute the former Net landed in Philadelphia. The veteran big man lauded Harden before shootaround Friday, saying he's a "great person, a great personality, always smiling, fun to be around," according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. 

Embiid added: "His presence on the team, and on the floor, has really changed a lot since he got here. So I'm just excited for that to continue on the court and I think that's going to help us a lot."

That said, it should also be noted that both players went to work even when they weren't on the court together in Minnesota. As Bontemps noted, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers staggered his lineup throughout the first half, often deciding to put Tobias Harris and Harden together and Embiid with Tyrese Maxey. When one duo was on the court, the other was on the bench. 

Though, when it comes down to it, both Harden and Embiid were on the floor in critical moments and that will only continue throughout the remainder of the season.

Harden and Embiid are already looking like they're going to be one of the best big-point guard combos in the NBA. If they can replicate the success they found Friday, they'll be one of the most difficult duos to play against come playoff time. 

Karl-Anthony Towns Gets Out to Slow Start in Sluggish Performance

Fresh off winning the three-point competition at All-Star weekend, Towns got out to a rough start against the Sixers on Friday night. He started 3-of-13 and 0-of-4 from three and finished making just 8-of-19 shots from the floor and 2-of-6 shots from deep. 

Towns definitely had a much better fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as Harden and Embiid teamed up to overpower a Timberwolves squad that had high hopes for Friday's game after defeating the Grizzlies on Thursday. 

It's was a sluggish, uncharacteristic outing for Towns, who is typically Minnesota's leader. However, it should be noted that Anthony Edwards and the remainder of the Timberwolves' offense struggled through much of the first half. 

In fact, the Timberwolves entered Friday's game averaging 57.4 first-half points per game, which ranked fifth in the NBA. Against the Sixers, they put up just 49 in the first half. 

As a team, the Timberwolves finished shooting just 41.2 percent from the floor and 23.1 percent from deep. Their three-point shooting, slow start and lack of defense is really what slowed them down against the Sixers. 

Luckily, the Timberwolves will have a few days off before their next game, and both Towns and Edwards should be well-rested and ready to go by then. 

What's Next?

The 76ers will travel to face the New York Knicks on Sunday, while the Timberwolves will be on the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. 

In a game that could have playoff implications, the Philadelphia 76ers walked away 123-120 winners over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Entering the game, the Bucks and Sixers were third and fifth, respectively, in the Eastern Conference and separated by just one game.

The postseason is still a few months off, but this result could prove beneficial for Philadelphia since the margin between the teams might be slim when the seeding is finalized. Their season series is now split, with the rubber match to come March 29.

For Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, the way in which Joel Embiid dominated inside could be a foreboding sign. Embiid had his ninth 40-point game of the season.

Notable Performers

Joel Embiid, C, 76ers: 42 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, one steal

Tyrese Maxey, PG, 76ers: 19 points, two rebounds, four assists

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Bucks: 32 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, one block

Jrue Holiday, PG, Bucks: 24 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal

Sixers Turn Tide with Second-Quarter Blitz

With 4:56 left in the first half, the Bucks led by 12 points, 53-41. The Sixers then outscored Milwaukee 28-8 over the remainder of the quarter to jump ahead 69-61 at halftime.

Furkan Korkmaz capped off the offensive outburst with a putback at the buzzer.

The comeback was a stark contrast from Philly's last game, a 48-point loss at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

Embiid played to type and looked every bit like a front-runner for MVP. Without Tyrese Maxey, though, this might have been another defeat. The 6'2" guard provided much needed support for Embiid, which was the difference in the second quarter when the Sixers started turning things around.

During that run, Maxey pulled up and hit a three-pointer that brought James Harden off the bench:

Speaking of Harden, he had to enjoy seeing Embiid back down Serge Ibaka and then nail a step-back three-pointer:

Imagine how unstoppable the 7'0" center will be if that becomes a regular tool in his arsenal.

As much as the Sixers have achieved to this point—and despite the questions over how head coach Doc Rivers will seamlessly fit him into the offense—this game might have been a reminder of why Harden's presence will be so vital.

Once Philadelphia fell behind in the fourth, there was only so much the offense could run through Embiid because of how the Bucks were defending him. Having Harden as an option will clearly add a different dimension to the Sixers' attack.

Balanced Bucks Can't Hang on Late

Although Milwaukee didn't get a ton of scoring output from its bench, all five of the Bucks' starters scored at least 17 points.

Not surprisingly, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday led the way. The contributions of Bobby Portis and Jordan Nwora were just as valuable as they helped ease the pressure on the team's top stars.

Once the fourth quarter arrived, though, it was often down to Antetokounmpo and Holiday to deliver in the biggest moments.

With Philly clinging to a three-point lead with 7:21 on the clock, Tobias Harris was all too happy to bait Giannis into taking a three-pointer. The two-time MVP made Harris regret that decision.

Then it was Holiday's turn to put Milwaukee ahead inside the final six minutes.

Fiserv Forum was rocking after Antetokounmpo connected from deep again.

But the Bucks couldn't stop Embiid forever, and they committed a pair of turnovers on back-to-back possessions when they were in a position to at least tie the game.

What's Next?

The Bucks and Sixers are both heading into the All-Star break. Philadelphia will return to action Feb. 25 on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Milwaukee will host the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 26.