The two teams went back and forth for much of the action; no team has ever built a double-digit lead. But thanks to Tyrese Maxey’s sustained brilliance on his return to action, some flashes of promise from struggling young players, excellent defense from Paul George, a critical burst from VJ Edgecombe in the third quarter and three Andre Drummond corner triples (!), it was the Sixers on top when the buzzer sounded.
As expected, the fourth quarter saw haymakers on both sides, with neither team ever able to create any sense of comfort. A raucous crowd grew tense as the tides changed, and eventually the Sixers sent them packing for the exits, with the defensive duo of Maxey and Edgecombe particularly dominant in clutch time.
How the Sixers pulled off a hard-fought victory, plus Maxey’s stellar return and more from the Mecca of basketball:
A high-intensity fourth quarter swings the Sixers’ way
A great play from a makeshift lineup by Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Justin Edwards, Jabari Walker and Adem Bona to end the final five minutes of the third quarter put the Sixers in position to win in the fourth quarter; that line-up won its piece by one point despite Maxey and George both being on the bench. It was tremendous competence at a time when they could have collapsed. Edgecombe’s timely goal led the way again, but Bona was particularly impressive. He shook off a brutal first half in which he committed three fouls in as many minutes and played one of his most complete games of the year.
It’s impossible to tell the story of the opening minutes of Friday’s final frame without first showing Maxey’s beautiful step-back triple that destroyed a great perimeter defender in Mikal Bridges:
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse always wants to ride the momentum when a player who initially expected to stay in for a few minutes finds a groove. So while Bona was surging, Nurse let him go, and the second-year center rewarded his coach by blocking an OG Anunoby dunk attempt at the rim — only after Nurse won a challenge — and continuing to guard the rim.
All the while, it was Maxey whose heroics continued — more on that — and Jared McCain, who after scoring two McCain-esque buckets in the first quarter, hit a momentum-shifting corner three before nailing another bucket in mid-range. He bullied his way there again and made a key mistake, knocking down two shots immediately afterward. It’s not saying much at all, but Friday’s game represented by far McCain’s most encouraging performance in a while.
Thanks in large part to rebounding extraordinaire Mitchell Robinson, who crushed the Sixers on the glass all night and even made a number of free throws, New York hung around throughout. Knicks fans screamed to take over the game, but every time they turned up the volume, the Sixers had an answer. With about three minutes left, rookie Edgecombe buried a pull-up mid-range jumper, then connected on a three and motioned for everyone to be quiet. With his team up by six points within two minutes, Edgecombe shot in for a putback dunk. It was another wave of adult moments for a twenty year old, with a lot more than anyone expected, and it was the dagger.
Tyrese Maxey makes an emphatic return
It had been 12 days since the Sixers’ sixth-year star had last played in an NBA game; he missed both games during a stretch when the Sixers played just two games in eleven days. But his illness has subsided and it was immediately clear that he was prepared to play with a level of intent that makes it almost impossible for opponents to contain. Maxey possesses a lethal combination of off-the-dribble burst and pull-up shooting accuracy; when he plays with power and creates an early rhythm for himself, other teams are at his mercy.
On Friday, that included the Knicks, whose best efforts and best defense couldn’t stop the soon-to-be two-time All-Star from scoring on all three levels. Maxey scored first in the paint, then drained a few triples and also started finding his spots in the mid-range. Maxey did not have a small number of assists, but the constant pressure he put on the defenders created many open looks for his teammates. He also continues to provide defensive value and pulls off another signature pick:
One play that won’t earn Maxey any highlights or box score stats, but was extremely valuable: After Bridges hit a three in the third quarter, Maxey noticed New York wasn’t quite back defensively. He rushed the incoming passer to get him the ball and almost immediately got the ball into the frontcourt, where the Sixers finished with an easy basket.
Maxey has always had his tremendous shooting ability and speed. What has allowed him to leap from star to potential superstar, however, is a more cerebral approach to the game and a more attentive focus on how to make the most of his outliers.
Odds and ends
Some additional notes:
• The nurse reaffirmed his confidence in Edward’s pregame; The hometown boy’s problems have been so pronounced lately that he was assigned to the G League on his 22nd birthday. But on Tuesday, Edwards turned his lone game against the Delaware Blue Coats into a huge success, scoring 37 points and picking up six steals. Maybe it gave him the confidence he clearly lacked. Edwards knocked down wing triples on his first two touches of Friday’s game on the 10th and final member of Nurse’s rotation:
• More on Embiid: He was initially questionable for Friday’s game due to an illness, but in the afternoon he was ruled out and given the added tag of right knee injury management. It was the first time in more than two weeks that his right knee problem, which caused eight consecutive absences earlier this season, was listed. Nurse commented before Friday’s game:
Next: The Sixers get right back to work on their home floor Saturday night when Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks come to Philadelphia.
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