Tyrese Maxey was averaging 29.6 points per game entering the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup on Monday, coming off a 38-point performance against the Hornets. He had scored at least 26 points in the team's previous seven games, a streak that looked set to end before the fourth quarter.
The key words there are before the fourth quarter.
Maxey had 11 points at the end of the third, and it wasn't because he was having a bad shooting night. He had only nine shot attempts after averaging 21.1 to start the season, and by the end of the night, he finished with 15, still below his average. But he hit five of his six shots in the fourth quarter, missing just one three-pointer.
The 76ers don't need Tyrese Maxey to go off every night
He played more of a conductor role in the first few quarters, operating in the background and setting up his teammates, particularly in the first quarter (when he took just two shots). He is the 76ers' go-to guy, as much has been established in the first couple of weeks of the season, but Maxey doesn't have to be that guy every night.
This time, they didn't need him to be, but there's something about those final 12 minutes. He leads the league with 88 points in the fourth, building an early case for Clutch Player of the Year.
What made watching him take over against the Bulls so sweet was that the 76ers didn't need Maxey to shift into that mode. Philadelphia led by 11, but he must've wanted the added insurance of ballooning the lead to what turned into a 19-point win.
No one is complaining about that.
Philadelphia is overflowing with talent
Maxey dominated the spotlight in the fourth, but don't overlook the fact that every other starter scored in double digits. He led the way, followed by Jaylen Brown with 25. VJ Edgecombe had his best young game of the season, finishing with 21 points, and at one point in the night, it seemed like he'd be the leading scorer. LeBron James and Embiid both had 15.
It wasn't that long ago that Maxey was under the pressure of being expected to keep the 76ers afloat while Embiid and Paul George were battling injuries, as in, two seasons ago. You've probably already blocked that season out of your mind, although it made the star guard better and brought Edgecombe to town.
For the 76ers of the past, it's been less about whether they have the talent and more about whether they can stay healthy. But now they certainly have the talent, and no one can argue against that. It's not all on Maxey, but in the fourth quarter, it might as well be, given how he plays.
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