The Philadelphia 76ers took to their home court Tuesday night in the midst of a three-game homestand. Coming off a frustrating double overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers hoped for some better luck against the incoming Washington Wizards.
Despite the absence of Joel Embiid and Quentin Grimes, compounded by the continued loss of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford, Philadelphia enjoyed a convincing win, largely thanks to the efforts of burgeoning superstar Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey scored 35 points, playing just three quarters as he enjoyed some much-needed old-fashioned load management. The NBA's leader in minutes played, the Sixers need to take advantage of every opportunity to grant Maxey extra rest, ideally in a victory like they enjoyed tonight.
The third quarter, typically the Sixers' Achilles heel, was dominated by Maxey, as he scored 20 of his points in that quarter alone, just three shy of the Wizards' point total in the third.
In his sixth NBA season, Tyrese Maxey has exploded onto the scene, averaging 32.5 points per game in 20 games played. With this game, Maxey has scored 20 or more points in each of his games this season, becoming the third player in franchise history to do so, joining Allen Iverson (21 games) and Joel Embiid (33 games).
While Philadelphia was once again led by Maxey, this victory would not have been as sure if not for the contributions of the rest of the team. Nearly every Sixer frankly deserves mention, with Jared McCain and Dominick Barlow standing out among the rest.
McCain was a massive +37 on the night. While not a stat to live and die by, it shows just how effective the Sixers were on both ends with McCain on the court in this one. The second-year guard out of Duke recovered nicely from a challenging game against Atlanta, scoring 14 points in 25 minutes against Washington.
Barlow, meanwhile, continues a stellar 2025-26 campaign, adding 12 points in an efficient performance both from the field and at the free-throw line. 8.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, shooting an efficient 56.2 percent from the field. Barlow is currently on a two-way deal with the Sixers, something that, at least for now, is expected to change as the year progresses.
Barlow has been active for 11 of the maximum 50 games allowed for a player on a two-way contract. The Sixers, who have filled 14 of a maximum 15 standard roster spots, barring some sudden change, would convert Barlow later in the season to maximize the value of such a conversion, something the team has previously done with Justin Edwards and former guard Jeff Dowtin Jr.
The Sixers will close out their homestand on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, who, like Philadelphia, continue to deal with an unfortunate rash of injuries. Golden State's most recent injury report included Jimmy Butler III, Steph Curry, Al Horford, Trayce Jackson-Davis, former Sixer De'Anthony Melton, and rookie Alex Toohey all either questionable or out as of Tuesday evening.
Tyrese Maxey and company with tip-off against the Warriors at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4.
