Sixers: 3 takeaways from Game 4 defeat in Toronto

Sixers-Raptors game four takeaways: Maxey’s inconsistency

Tyrese Maxey lit the world on fire in Game 1, dropping 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting and announcing his stardom on the national stage. He followed it up with another strong performance in Game 2, posting 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists on 8-of-11 shooting.

It has been a much different story for Maxey since the series shifted to Toronto. He scored 19 points on 18 shots in Game 3 and made several costly errors, including an uncharacteristic five turnovers. He scored 11 points on 12 shots in Game 4, and looked completely absent from the game offensively. He no-showed, and when you’re the No. 3 star for a championship contender, you can’t afford too many no-shows.

Maxey has proven he can bounce back all season and he’s still young — 21 years old, to be exact. It happens. Most young guys are inconsistent. But this isn’t the first time Maxey has followed up dominance with disappearance this season. Maxey’s a gifted scorer, but when the shots aren’t falling he still struggles to impact the game in other ways. That’s the next step in his development.

Again, there’s no reason for panic here. The Sixers will enter Game 5 as heavy favorites, and barring another catastrophic void in the effort department, Philadelphia should have a good chance to end the series at home. That said, the Sixers need Maxey to step up, especially when his older co-stars don’t have their legs.