The last time Tyrese Maxey played in Milwaukee, he scored a career-high 54 points. Tonight he totaled 12 points, which was all the Philadelphia 76ers needed.
Philadelphia’s depth led it to a 116-101 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Friday night. The Bucks tried to force everyone but Maxey to beat them and it backfired badly when the 76ers had six players finish in double figures and rack up 61 bench points. While Philadelphia — playing its second game in 48 hours — allowed a second-half derailment, it has won three games in a row.
Quentin Grimes and Paul George led the 76ers’ balanced scoring, finishing with 22 and 20 points, respectively. Walker wasn’t far behind with a season-high 18 points on 5-10 shooting from the field, while VJ Edgecombe scored 12 and Adem Bona contributed 10.
Philadelphia’s ball movement improved dramatically from the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and no one benefited from it more than Grimes. The 76ers (13-9) continually skewed Milwaukee’s (10-14) defense with up-tempo play, giving the guard plenty of three-point opportunities. He shot 6-7 from outside and created for others when called upon, finishing with five assists.
George, however, was Philadelphia’s most impactful player. The 76ers immediately operated through him, with the Bucks continually sending two defensemen to Maxey and it produced quality results. George enjoyed the bounce, finding his spot inside the arc with ease and creating advantages for teammates from plays. Although he has one steal to prove, George was dominant defensively, with excellent assist rotations and timely substitutions.
Finally, fatigue set in for Philadelphia, as Milwaukee cut its lead to 10 points in the fourth quarter after enjoying a 26-point lead in the first half. But the 76ers trusted their offensive process instead of returning to isolation and were able to show for it in a win.
This is how it went:
1st quarter
Milwaukee took an 11-9 lead five minutes into the first quarter, knocking down three of its first four three-point attempts. Kevin Porter Jr.’s rim pressure forced Philadelphia into rotation, creating perimeter opportunities. He recorded three assists in six minutes.
The 76ers’ offense wasn’t helpless, however.
The Bucks frequently blitzed Philadelphia’s pick-and-rolls, which George primarily executed early. Milwaukee’s aggressive coverage unleashed Andre Drummond’s talent as a short-roll passer, as his extra passes were crucial to the 76ers recording five assists on their first seven made field goals.
Philadelphia’s offense kept rolling, launching a 19–4 run to establish a 13-point lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Without Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), the offense sputtered once Milwaukee’s shooting variance simmered. The 76ers forced six Bucks turnovers, including Maxey three, and converted into 11 points.
Maxey’s perimeter defense and gravity allowed Philadelphia to dominate in transition, going 5-10 shooting from beyond the arc in the frame. The 76ers entered the second quarter with a 33-20 lead with no signs of slowing down.
2nd quarter
Walker only added to Philadelphia’s shooting avalanche, converting his first four 3-pointers along the way for 14 points in 10 minutes. He made Milwaukee pay for the early closeouts as his fourth triple gave the 76ers an 18-point lead after three minutes. Between his spot-up shooting and rebounding, Walker continues to play a consistent role in the 76ers rotation.
Philadelphia’s only vice in this stretch was Bobby Portis getting the same treatment the Bucks offered Walker. He put up 13 points on 3-5 shooting from downtown, as the 76ers gave him too much space from the top of the key.
But it proved to be of little consequence as George continued to dissect Milwaukee’s defense, this time with his shot creation. The Bucks lacked a wing who could defend from the point of attack as Porter was unable to stifle it. George beat Milwaukee with mid-range pull-up jump shots and a spot-up three, finishing the first half with 11 points.
Kyle Lowry was also worth mentioning, logging six minutes in the period. He buried a three off the catch to polish a 16-4 76ers run. The veteran chose his spots well on both sides of the field and made the right decisions.
This all culminated in Maxey making just five field goals in the first half, while Milwaukee routinely double-teamed him. Still, Philadelphia didn’t need his scoring talent. He entered the locker room with a 69-49 lead and shot 56.1% from the field.
3rd quarter
Tired legs seemed to affect the 76ers early in the period as they missed nine of their first 11 shot attempts in the second half. But the Bucks lacked the offensive firepower to take advantage and Philadelphia fended them off. Grimes found George in transition for a spot-up three as the 76ers maintained a 20-point lead midway through the frame.
Grimes didn’t stop there, though.
He scored nine of his points in the frame, thrived as a game finisher from beyond the arc and kept the offense flowing as a secondary ballhandler. Jared McCain also had quality moments, scoring off the dribble and creating a layup for Walker.
Milwaukee won the frame by four points and Philadelphia held a 93-77 lead in the final twelve minutes – eerily similar to the third quarter against the Warriors.
4th quarter
The 76ers continued to follow the script from last night as Portis hit a 20-foot jumper to cut their lead to eight points. Although Philadelphia’s offense waned and two of the first ten shots of the frame were hit, it was not because of poor execution. The 76ers were simply tired as they continued to deal with the fatigue that came with playing the second leg of a back-to-back.
That was until George took over.
He made consecutive mid-range pull-ups to help Philadelphia regain a double-digit lead that prevailed the rest of the way. George commanded the offense, collapsing the Bucks’ defense and setting up a three for Edgecombe that essentially sealed the 76ers’ 13th win of the season.
The Bucks struggled to find offense, scoring just four points in the final two minutes. Philadelphia held on, with help from George’s defensive versatility, as Milwaukee was without a leading scorer.
To ensure a win, Grimes converted an and-one three, sending Milwaukee fans to the arena exits. Philadelphia kept its composure on both ends of the court and is now half a game behind the fourth seed of the Eastern Conference.
The 76ers return to the Xfinity Mobile Arena on December 7 at 7:30 PM EST to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (16-6).
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