The Philadelphia 76ers are on the brink of elimination as the Boston Celtics currently have a 3-1 series lead over them in their first-round playoff matchup.
Their backs are up against the wall, and at this point, they have nothing to lose. For them to have any chance to get back in this series and be competitive again, it's not going to be because of Joel Embiid, Paul George, or VJ Edgecombe. It's going to be because of Tyrese Maxey, who needs to leave it all out there on Tuesday night and take control.
In a recent episode of the "Locked On 76ers" podcast, Keith Pompey opined that the Texas native needs to be selfish and more of a bucket-getter, rather than be passive or worry too much about getting everybody else involved.
"For them to win tonight's game, I feel like Maxey has to be selfish Maxey. He has to be, 'I gotta look for my own shot.' He can't be point guard Maxey... passive Maxey. For that point, you could've had Kyle Lowry out there. I mean, seriously. Kyle Lowry, not taking a lot of shots, just trying to get guys in position to score. Maxey not scoring the ball does not help the Sixers at all," Pompey said.
The 76ers need Tyrese Maxey to take Game 5 over
In the first three games of this series, Maxey attempted 20, 28, and 31 field goals, respectively. In Game 4, he shot just 14 times in 40 minutes, and he only took three shots in the first half.
To say this is unacceptable would be a massive understatement. Under no circumstance should your best player (and, let's just call it like it is, your most important player as well) only take three field goals in a half.
Maxey has been solid against Boston, averaging 25.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.9% from the field and 41.7% from deep. However, the 76ers will only be as successful this postseason as he can take them. And in Game 5, they need him to unleash his full power and be more selfish, especially given the uncertainties about his supporting cast.
To be direct, Philadelphia probably doesn't have much of a chance to come back from down 3-1, especially against a Celtics team that seems to be firing on all cylinders. But as it stands, the season isn't over yet. And if they want any chance to shock the basketball world and eliminate the team many have penciled in to make the finals this year, it will all come down to what Maxey can do on Tuesday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google