76ers Top 5 Most Memorable Plays – (#4) Tyrese Maxey Block
TOTH to Ballislife.com for the quote below.
"“I was thinking either he’s going to dunk on me, or I’m going to get this block. It’s one of those you have to put your body on the line.” – Tyrese Maxey"
Everyone knows that Tyrese Maxey took a phenomenal leap last year. Offensively, he stepped his game up, especially with his 3-point shooting. Yet, this top-5 most memorable play shows just how determined he was to step up when the team needed his defense.
Going into April with just 12 games left in the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Miami Heat. This was to be a statement game with playoff implications. The problem? Joel Embiid and James Harden were out. Who came in to save the day, again, for Philly with a short roster? You guessed it: Tyrese Maxey.
Yes, he led the Sixers in scoring in this game as he did against the Grizzlies in the previously ranked memorable play, but the stand-out highlight was a defensive one. Despite holding a six-point lead late in the game, Miami would not go down without a fight. In the final minute, the Heat stole an inbound pass, and the 76ers raced to get back in transition. That’s when Maxey put on the burners.
Caleb Martin retrieved the loose ball, drove to the basket, and laid it up. Tyrese Maxey was not having any of it though. The second-year fan favorite contested the shot and blocked it with his left hand. His hops got him to the ball, and his heart helped the 76ers secure a victory.
He pumped his fist to the crowd, and the Wells Fargo Center chanted Maxey’s name until the buzzer sounded.