Getty James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers.
October 28th was quite an evening for Philadelphia 76ers and Phillies fans. To lead off the evening, the Sixers rebounded from its slow start in a huge way, defeating the Toronto Raptors 112-90. Just a few days before, the Sixers lost to the Raps, coughing up nearly 120 points in a 119-109 beatdown.
But the fireworks in Philly didn’t end there. In the Lone Star State, the Phillies battled the playoff-perfect Houston Astros in Game One of the World Series. While the ‘stros jumped on Aaron Nola early, the Phillies fought back, knotting the game at five runs apiece after five innings.
And that’s where things stayed until JT Realmuto cranked a solo homer in the top of the tenth inning for the game-winning score. A few outs later, the Phils handed Houston its first loss of the postseason. And Sixers star James Harden took notice of the Phillies’ heroics, giving the club a shoutout on social media.
“Phillies going crazy!,” Harden tweeted.
Phillies going crazy!
Back in Toronto, Harden had another reason to celebrate after his backcourt co-star Tyrese Maxey exploded for 44 points.
Tyrese Maxey Goes For Career-High 44 Points
By several metrics, Tyrese Maxey’s start to the season wasn’t poor. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t . . . attention-grabbing. The former Kentucky Wildcat dazzled last season, blistering opponents with his speed and personality. But as the Sixers are currently dead last in pace, Maxey’s full skillset hasn’t been put on display.
Through the first four games of the season, he was mustering just 17.5 points on 43% shooting from the field. Even worse, his defensive pairing with James Harden left quite a bit to be desired. But on Friday night, Maxey punctuated his return to the limelight with a 44-point showing, the most of his career.
It’s part of an encouraging trend for Maxey over the last two games. Over his last two starts, Maxey is averaging 37.5 points, five assists, and is shooting 65.9% from the field. But the most encouraging sign is his increased three-point volume. So far this season, Maxey is putting up nearly seven threes (6.8) per game. And his efficiency hasn’t dropped at all since last season: he’s netting nearly 50% of them (48.8%) through six games this season.
In order for Maxey to take yet another step forward, he’ll need to keep that volume up while not sacrificing any efficiency. How does that happen? By making sure he gets as many touches as possible during the game.
Maxey Needs More Touches for 76ers to Have Success
Is it any surprise that the Sixers’ best showing this season came on the back of Maxey’s standout performance? He’s the youngest starter by a mile and outside of Joel Embiid, the one with the most upside. Going forward, it will be imperative that the Sixers draw up game plans that feed their rising star.
“Moving forward, Doc Rivers needs to make sure Tyrese Maxey has the ball in his hands a lot, consistently. The kid is special,” Michael Kaskey-Blomain of NBC Sports tweeted Saturday.
Moving forward, Doc Rivers needs to make sure Tyrese Maxey has the ball in his hands a lot, consistently. The kid is special.
Doc Rivers has gotten a lot of flack this season, and deservedly so. But riding his star guard might be an excellent way to turn Philadelphia’s season around and, by extension, save his job in the process.