Fresh off a disappointing home loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled to Cream City Milwaukee to face former coach Doc Rivers and the Bucks. Both teams would be without their most well-known stars — Joel Embiid for the Sixers and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks — but fans were not in want of excitement as this game came down to overtime, with Tyrese Maxey securing the win for Philadelphia, scoring a career-high 54 points.
Before recounting the exciting game by the Franchise — that being Tyrese Maxey, it's important to single out that, for the second time in as many games played, Paul George came out of the gates firing, scoring the team's first 11 points, leading the Sixers to a quick 11-4 lead.
George fizzled rather quickly in his first game after another quick start, but remained capable defensively. This night would be another story for the nine-time All-Star. George would finish the game with 21 points, five rebounds and three steals, providing the exact boost Maxey needed on a night where all others in the Sixers' classic Iverson-era black uniforms struggled with efficiency.
Speak of those iconic uniforms, to say Maxey did his best Iverson impression in the uniforms honoring the '01 Eastern Conference Finals team would be doing Maxey a disservice. It's not to say that Maxey has surpassed Iverson, certainly not yet. Still, Maxey has proven himself time and time again, far exceeding the expectations of when he came into the league and growing into not only one of the league's best shooters, but one of the best overall players the NBA has to offer.
Many have questioned, doubted even, Maxey's ability to grow into an alpha, into one of the top 25, 20, or even 15 players in the league. Before the very eyes of Sixers fans, Tyrese Maxey has grown into a bona fide MVP candidate. As this team continues to regain health and round back into form as a unit, Maxey has the opportunity to carry Philadelphia toward a legitimate playoff push, one that may even reach the heights of Iverson's '01 squad, if not finish the job.
It's not just Iverson that Maxey has found himself in company alongside. With his 54 points, not to mention his nine assists, Maxey has joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in franchise history to score at least 50 points and tally nine assists in a single game, per Elias Sports Bureau.
Despite Maxey's impressive game, it still came down to overtime for the Sixers. This only made Maxey's performance more impressive as Philadelphia was playing the second night of a back-to-back. Maxey once again played 46 total minutes, playing the entire second half, including overtime. There's surely some concern about his minutes load, but Maxey does not share those concerns.
"I told you, I could play two more games if I had to," Maxey told NBC Sports Philadelphia's Kate Scott postgame.
Maxey's confidence is admirable, but it would be nice to see the team find a way to win without him playing over 40 minutes each night. For now, the Sixers will enjoy the win, and Maxey will enjoy his new career-high as they prepare to return home and once again take the court.
The Sixers have another back-to-back, but of a different variety, taking the next two nights off before returning to their home court on Sunday to face the 9-6 Miami Heat. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Nov. 23.
