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Author: Keith Pompey

  • Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey named starter in NBA All-Star Game

    Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey named starter in NBA All-Star Game

    When Tyrese Maxey first learned he could become an NBA All-Star Game starter, the 76ers point guard said it would be cool.

    He talked about watching Joel Embiid start in an All-Star Game and how much he enjoyed watching his teammate’s experience.

    “So if I’m blessed with the opportunity, I definitely won’t take it for granted,” Maxey said on Dec. 29.

    The opportunity has become a reality.

    Maxey learned Monday that he was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.

    The starters were announced shortly after 2 p.m. on NBC/Peacock before the tipoff of the nationally televised game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star reserves, selected by the league’s coaches, will be announced at a later date. The game will be played on Feb. 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

    The Sixers are still struggling with inconsistency at the NBA’s halfway mark. How will they address it?

    “I’m very thankful for it, blessed,” Maxey said before Monday’s game against the Indiana Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “I appreciate everybody who voted for me, the people who believed in me. I’m thankful for my teammates, this organization for allowing me to kind of lead them and try to be a better version of a franchise and organization they were last year.”

    Usually taking his pregame nap at 2 p.m., Maxey was asleep when the All-Star Game starters were revealed. But he could hear his ringer going off while teammate VJ Edgecombe tried to call him multiple times.

    “I’m like, why is he calling me?” he said. “And I answer, and he’s screaming and showing me the TV. And I’m like, ‘OK.’ We chopped it up a little bit. I was thankful for that. Then my mom called me, and then I said, ‘Listen, I’m going back to sleep. I have work tonight.’

    “But I’m thankful, man. I’m just thankful that my support system and everybody who is around me, and my very thankful for that.”

    Maxey becomes the first Sixers guard selected to start an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in 2010. Iverson, however, did not play because his daughter, Messiah, was ill. The last time the Sixers had a player voted to start in the event was Embiid in 2024. He didn’t play because of a torn meniscus in his left knee.

    Maxey made his first All-Star team that season as a reserve. But after missing the cut last season, he’ll be a two-time All-Star.

    Fans accounted for 50% of the vote to determine the 10 starters. A media panel and NBA players each accounted for 25% of the vote. This season, All-Stars are selected regardless of position.

    Tyrese Maxey is lifted up by Adem Bona after the Sixers beat the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 4.

    Denver Nuggets center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and Milwaukee Bucks forward and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are the leading vote-getters in their respective conferences.

    The starters from the Eastern Conference are Maxey, Antetokounmpo, New York Knicks point guard and former Villanova standout Jalen Brunson, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham, and Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown.

    “I guess you could say it’s one of the goals for sure, but my main goal is for us to win,” Maxey said of being a starter. “The rest of that will come. I feel like if I’m healthy and we can win games and stay afloat and try to get to a playoff spot and do something special there, all of the accolades and all that stuff will appear.”

    For the Western Conference, the starters are Jokić, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Dončić, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.

    Maxey finished second in the fan voting among Eastern Conference players. He was third in the media voting and fifth in the player voting.

    The sixth-year veteran’s 2,941,622 fan votes were the most by an American player.

    “Thanks, fellow Americans,” Maxey said upon hearing the news. “I appreciate y’all. That’s love. I appreciate y’all.”

    The Texas native said he’s “blessed” to earn that type of popularity.

    “I have great teammates, great organization that believes in me,” Maxey said. “I just give grace to God every single morning to be able to at least wake up and do what I love every single day. And I just work extremely hard to be in this position.”

    Under a new format, the All-Star Game will feature a U.S. vs. World competition, consisting of two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games.

    It’s not surprising that Maxey was voted an All-Star starter.

    How good is Tyrese Maxey? He’s now in a class with Sixers great Allen Iverson and other NBA elites.

    He entered Monday third in the league in scoring (30.3 points per game), tied for third in steals (1.9), and 15th in assists (6.7). He’s also fourth in made three-pointers (139), and has scored at least 30 points in 19 of 38 games.

    “Look at his stats and what he’s been doing the whole season,” teammate Quentin Grimes said. “From Game 1 to Game 41 today, he’s been probably a top-three player in the league right now. So just seeing him go out every night has been really fun to go out there and watch.”

    Maxey’s season highlight came Nov. 20 when he scored a career-high 54 points, to go with nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in a 123-114 overtime victory over the Bucks. He joined Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a game.

  • The Sixers are still struggling with inconsistency at the NBA’s halfway mark. How will they address it?

    The Sixers are still struggling with inconsistency at the NBA’s halfway mark. How will they address it?

    Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors showed who the 76ers could be.

    Wednesday and Friday’s matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers revealed who they are currently.

    As much as their talent level has improved because of health and key offseason additions, these Sixers still don’t know which version of themselves will show up on any particular night, a reality they were reminded of in a 117-115 loss to the Cavs on Friday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    With Cleveland playing without two-time All-Star Darius Garland (right big toe soreness) and key reserve Sam Merrill (sprained right hand), the Sixers should have been able to make up ground on the fourth-place Raptors (25-18). Instead, they’re seventh in the standings.

    Fortunately for the Sixers (22-18), there are 42 games remaining in the regular season.

    But if it concluded today, they would be bound for the play-in tournament for the second time in three seasons. Last year, the Sixers missed the postseason entirely. And with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Jared McCain over last season’s injuries, the hope was that the squad would be a contender in the East.

    At times, they appear to be. But this season has been a roller coaster of inconsistency.

    The Sixers will resume play at home Monday against the Indiana Pacers in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day game (6 p.m., NBCSP). On paper, they should defeat the Pacers, who have the NBA’s second-worst record of 10-33.

    Entering this week’s games, it’s unclear if Joel Embiid (21) will play against the Pacers or the Suns.

    But there are several questions the Sixers will face.

    Will Embiid and George play against Indiana or on Tuesday versus the Phoenix Suns, given they haven’t been cleared to play on both nights of back-to-backs?

    Can they resemble the Sixers squad that rarely missed a shot while scoring 80 first-half points in Monday’s 115-102 victory over the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena?

    Or will they come out sluggish and fail to match their opponent’s intensity, as they did in Wednesday’s 133-107 loss to the Cavs (24-19)?

    And will they’ll fail to close out the game as they did in Friday’s loss and in several other winnable games?

    “I think seven or eight [games] this year, where we just had [it] in our hands and then slip away,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Two Detroit games up in the fourth quarter, let them slip away. Chicago [on Nov. 16], same thing. Two of those games, let them slip, and Toronto as well [on Sunday]. Both times, had them beat, kind of let the game slip away. It’s probably more. Just those are the ones that come on top of my head, but those hurt.”

    The Sixers’ success is dependent on Joel Embiid’s ability to make others better

    On Friday, the Sixers had an 11-point cushion with 8 minutes, 47 seconds remaining. After the teams traded baskets, the Sixers missed six straight shots, as Cleveland tied the score at 102.

    The Sixers responded by making four consecutive baskets to build a 111-104 cushion with 3:53 left. But they fell apart down the stretch, turning the ball over before missing five of their final six shots.

    Something to remember: The Sixers have only played with a full complement of key players in their last six games. Even that’s a bit misleading, with Dominick Barlow leaving early in the third quarter of Wednesday’s game with a bruised back. That ugly setback came after the Sixers briefly looked like they’d turned the corner.

    On Monday, the Sixers were on top of their game against the Raptors as the ball moved freely and they boasted balanced scoring. Maxey finished with a game-high 33 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Rookie VJ Edgecombe, his backcourt mate, added 15 points while making 5 of 6 three-pointers.

    But the standout duo, considered among the league’s best young backcourts, failed to have the same scoring impact against Cleveland. Edgecombe had nine points on 3-for-10 shooting on Wednesday — and missed five of six three-pointers. He finished with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting on Friday. However, only two of his shot attempts came after intermission. The shooting guard didn’t attempt a shot while logging 7:19 in the third quarter, and shot 1-for-2 while playing the entire fourth quarter.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) averaged 18 points on 35.9% shooting in the past two games.

    Meanwhile, Cleveland appears to be Maxey’s Kryptonite.

    The point guard, an All-Star in 2023-24, entered Saturday as the league’s third-leading scorer at 30.3 points per game. However, he averaged 18 points on 35.9% shooting — including making just 4 of 16 three-pointers — in the past two games.

    “They do a good job on all my ball screens, and they just put a lot of attention on me,” Maxey said of his struggles against the Cavs. “So it’s a lot of times, even when I’m coming off a ball screen with Joel, and Jarrett Allen’s guarding him … I’m throwing it back to Joel. So, I mean, that was that, and then I missed some good looks tonight.”

    Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    Maxey and the Sixers will attempt to regroup during this week’s games against the Pacers, Suns, Houston Rockets (Thursday), and New York Knicks (Saturday). They should have a great opportunity to climb up the standings with all four of those contests at home, but the Sixers are 10-11 at Xfinity and 12-7 on the road.

    But the big question is: Which team will show up?

  • The Sixers were dominated by the Cavaliers. Nick Nurse is eager to see how they respond.

    The Sixers were dominated by the Cavaliers. Nick Nurse is eager to see how they respond.

    The 76ers relish the opportunity to play the Cleveland Cavaliers again on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The matchup will be two days after the Sixers lost, 133-107, to the Cavaliers at the same venue. It was the Sixers’ fifth series loss in six meetings against Cleveland.

    “So, absolutely [excited] to get a chance to play them again,” Paul George said. “It’s a test for us. And, you know, see how we respond.”

    Sixers takeaways: A bad matchup, Joel Embiid’s mounting turnovers, and more from loss to Cavaliers

    Donovan Mitchell finished with a game-high 35 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists on Wednesday. The six-time All-Star has scored 35, 46, and 37 points in his last three games vs. the Sixers. And he’s averaging 28.0 points and 6.6 assists in 10 games against the Sixers (22-17) after being traded to Cleveland (23-19) from the Utah Jazz on Sept. 3, 2022.

    Meanwhile, Evan Mobley had 17 points and game highs of 13 rebounds and four blocks on Wednesday for his 15th double-double of the season. The 7-foot power forward and reigning defensive player of the year has averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in his last five games against the Sixers.

    But the All-Stars aren’t alone in their dominance.

    Cleveland had five double-figure scorers, shot 53.3% — including 18 of 44 three-pointers — in a 132-121 victory over the Sixers on Nov. 5. On Wednesday, they shot 52.6%, and made 20 of 46 three-pointers. Their 41 assists on Wednesday were the most an opposing team has posted against the Sixers this season.

    Tyrese Maxey was shut down in the Sixers’ loss to the Cavaliers, producing only 14 points on 5 of 16 shooting.

    “It wasn’t just a win, but how we played,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Forty-one assists on 50 made baskets is kind of college basketball [numbers] the way we moved it.

    “And defensively, we were good.”

    They shut down Tyrese Maxey (14 points on 5-for-16 shooting) and VJ Edgecombe (nine points on 3-for-10) on Wednesday.

    The Cavaliers showed Maxey two defenders several times to get the ball out of his hands quickly.

    “I started off slow, kind of, energy-wise, and let them kind of box me in a little bit,” said Maxey, who had nine points on 3-for-10 at halftime. “But, yeah, sometimes you just got to make the right plays. I felt like some times I came off, and there were two or three bodies, and I just got off the ball.

    “That’s how I play basketball. If I see multiple bodies and I don’t think I have an advantage, like, somebody else on my team should have an advantage.”

    And as in the teams’ previous meeting, Wednesday’s outcome was all but decided after three quarters.

    Sixers’ Dominick Barlow leaves Cavaliers game with back contusion

    Nick Nurse is eager to see how the Sixers respond on Friday.

    “I think it’s a great test for us,” the coach said. “It’s a great test for us to see if we can snap out of the energy funk that we were in [Wednesday night] and dig in and guard something and execute something on offense because we didn’t … scheme right or execute right.”

    Sixers power forward Dominick Barlow missed most of Wednesday’s game after suffering a back contusion early in the third quarter. Barlow was expected to have an MRI on Thursday. His injury is a tough blow for the Sixers, as he is a solid glue guy who started alongside George, Joel Embiid (20 points), Edgecombe, and Maxey.

    Meanwhile, Cleveland’s Darius Garland (right foot) and Sam Merrill (right hand) also left the game because of injuries. Atkinson said he doubts that they’ll play on Friday.

    “Dom is a big piece for us, but it is, it’s another gut punch, man, that somebody else goes down,” said George, whose squad has dealt with injuries all season. “Soon as we finally start to get healthy and there’s some consistency with the starting group. It’ll be another starting group come Friday, so that has been a challenge.”

  • Sixers takeaways: A bad matchup, Joel Embiid’s mounting turnovers, and more from loss to Cavaliers

    Sixers takeaways: A bad matchup, Joel Embiid’s mounting turnovers, and more from loss to Cavaliers

    The Cleveland Cavaliers are a bad matchup for the 76ers.

    Joel Embiid is trending in the right direction, showing glimpses of his former dominant self. However, the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star must take better care of the ball.

    And the Sixers can’t kick the injury bug.

    Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    Those things stood out in Wednesday’s 133-107 loss to the Cavaliers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Bad matchup

    The Sixers (22-17) have a Big Three in Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, along with a stellar rookie in VJ Edgecombe. But the Cavs (23-19) are blessed with two lethal scorers in guards Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, and defensive-minded 7-footers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

    That’s a tough combination for the Sixers, who have lost two straight and five of their last six meetings against Cleveland.

    Mitchell had a game-high 35 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists while being a game-best plus-29 in 33 minutes, 18 seconds. He also torched the Sixers for 46 points on Nov. 5. Garland had 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting along with three rebounds and seven assists before exiting the game with a right foot injury in the third quarter.

    The Sixers’ Paul George (left) goes up for a shot while being defended by Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen on Wednesday night.

    Mobley added 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting to go with six assists and game-highs of 13 rebounds and four blocks, while Allen had 10 points on 5-for-6 shooting to go with five rebounds and two assists.

    The Cavs had six double-figure scorers, held a 52-42 rebounding advantage, and led by as many as 30 points. Their 41 assists were the most allowed by the Sixers this season.

    Cleveland also held Maxey to 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting. The All-NBA caliber point guard missed six of his eight three-point attempts and was a game-worst minus-22 in 31 minutes, 11 seconds. With the game out of reach, Maxey sat out the fourth quarter.

    The Cavs are a tough matchup for Philly due to their towering frontcourt and elite defense, anchored by Mobley. Mitchell’s ability to take over a game also keeps the Sixers on their heels. And when you focus on stopping him, Garland usually takes advantage.

    Sixers’ Dominick Barlow leaves Cavaliers game with back contusion

    If there’s a knock on Cleveland, it’s the team’s lack of consistency. But the Cavs usually come to play against the Sixers.

    The Sixers will get an opportunity for revenge when the teams meet again here on Friday night.

    “They are a good team,” George said. “They’ve been together for a while. They’re a challenge with their size and their guard play. They’re a tough team.

    “So absolutely [excited] to get a chance to play them again. It’s a test for us. And you know, see how we respond.”

    Embiid’s high turnovers

    Embiid averaged 28.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks in his last 11 games entering Wednesday. The 7-2 center then finished with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in just 24:57.

    The 10th-year veteran is moving better than at the start of the season. He is, once again, attacking the rim, jumping more, and providing a stronger defensive presence. But if there’s been a weakness, it’s been his turnovers.

    Embiid had six turnovers on Wednesday, two nights after finishing with seven against the Toronto Raptors. He has 25 turnovers in the last five games.

    On Wednesday, Embiid had four of his turnovers in the first quarter, which contributed to the Sixers’ slow start.

    “Obviously, I turned the ball over a few times, and then we just weren’t locked in from the start,” he said. “But yeah, obviously I had, like, five turnovers in that first quarter. So yeah, that’s on me.”

    Another injury

    Just when it appeared the Sixers were over the injury bug, Dominick Barlow suffered a game-ending back contusion in the third quarter.

    The power forward had to be helped to the locker room after awkwardly falling when his shot was blocked by Mobley 1:11 into the second half.

    Sixers appreciate two-game sets, a scheduling quirk that offers ‘small preview’ of playoffs

    Coach Nick Nurse said Barlow’s X-ray was negative.

    “The next thing,” Nurse added, “would lead to an MRI [Thursday], probably, just to make sure.”

    But Wednesday’s game began as just the fifth time this season in which all of the Sixers’ key players were available.

    And that was only because Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford returned from lengthy injuries on Jan. 7. Before that night, the Sixers hadn’t had all of their players available since December 2023.

    The Sixers’ Dominick Barlow left Wednesday’s game with a back contusion.

    “Yeah, it is [tough], you know,” George said. “But I think the beauty of it all is we’ve done and dealt with it so much over a two-year span that I think for this group, nothing seems to surprise us in that way. We have to be ready. The next guy has to be ready, and so all we can do is try to continue to move to get a better team and hold it down until Dom comes back.”

    Barlow had two points on 1-for-3 shooting and two rebounds in 8:04 of playing time before suffering the injury.

    Donovan Mitchell scores 35 as Cavs blow out the Sixers, 133-107

    Barlow, a fourth-year veteran on a two-way contract, entered Wednesday’s game averaging career highs of 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

    He was the glue guy while starting alongside George, Embiid, Maxey, and Edgecombe.

    “Dom is a big piece for us … It’s another gut punch, man, that somebody else goes down,” George said. “Soon as we finally start to get healthy, and there’s some consistency with the starting group. It’ll be another starting group come Friday. So, that has been a challenge.”

  • Sixers’ Dominick Barlow leaves Cavaliers game with back contusion

    Sixers’ Dominick Barlow leaves Cavaliers game with back contusion

    Dominick Barlow had to be helped to the locker room after awkwardly falling when his shot was blocked by Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley, 1 minute, 11 seconds into the second half.

    The 76ers’ forward was diagnosed with a back contusion and did not return.

    He had two points on 1-for-3 shooting and two rebounds in 8:04 of playing time before suffering the injury. The team would suffer a major loss if he were forced to miss considerable time. He has been the Sixers’ glue guy in the starting lineup while grabbing rebounds and playing solid defense.

    Sixers appreciate two-game sets, a scheduling quirk that offers ‘small preview’ of playoffs

    Barlow also missed nine games earlier this season with a right-elbow laceration.

    The fourth-year veteran, who’s on a two-way contract, entered Wednesday’s game averaging career highs of 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.

  • Sixers appreciate two-game sets, a scheduling quirk that offers ‘small preview’ of playoffs

    Sixers appreciate two-game sets, a scheduling quirk that offers ‘small preview’ of playoffs

    When the 76ers blew two late leads Sunday in their 116-115 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, they didn’t have to wait long to get revenge.

    The teams met the next night, on the same floor, with the Sixers beating the Raptors, 115-102.

    Then on Wednesday, the Sixers hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first of a pair of home games at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They will square off again on Friday.

    Inside Sixers: Kyle Lowry’s Toronto curtain call, Joel Embiid’s All-Star push and more from a 2-1 road trip

    These quick two-game series are part of a scheduling change the NBA implemented several seasons ago that has teams periodically playing consecutive games against the same opponent in the same location to reduce travel.

    “It kind of gives you a small preview of what the playoffs look like, having to beat a team and go out and do it again the next night or whenever you play,” Sixers power forward Dominick Barlow said Wednesday after shootaround.

    Coach Nick Nurse added that it does keep you on the same team for a few days in a row.

    “So it gives you a chance to maybe look at your team a little more in depth over those days,” he said, “because you’re not sprinting to the next prep session or whatever as much.”

    Sixers forward Dominick Barlow is a fan of the two-game series.

    Nurse is fine with this format. It’s something he experienced frequently while coaching in the NBA G League.

    Barlow feels this forces players to be ready, physically and mentally.

    “You play a team twice, they are going to know your tendencies a little bit better,” he said. “They have a scouting report. So I think it’s good.”

    Home sweet home

    The two games against Cleveland begin a six-game homestand for the Sixers. In all, they’ll play nine of their next 10 games at home.

    They’ll have a back-to-back against the Indiana Pacers (Monday) and Phoenix Suns (Tuesday) before entertaining the Houston Rockets on Jan. 22 and the New York Knicks on Jan. 24. After traveling to Charlotte to face the Hornets on Jan. 26, the Sixers will entertain the Milwaukee Bucks the next night before closing out the month with home games against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 29 and the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 31.

    “I like it,” Barlow said of this stretch of home games. Playing at Xfinity Mobile Arena “kind of reminds me of playing outside as a kid. … The crowd, they are just passionate, and they care. If you are not playing well, they’ll let you know. If you are playing well and doing what you are supposed to do, they love you. That’s what I grew up on. So I like it.”

    He is also excited to be home after playing eight of the last 10 games on the road. It gives him a chance to go home after the game instead of traveling to a new city and checking into hotel rooms.

    “It’s probably good for everybody,” he said.

    Bunched-up standings

    The Sixers headed into Wednesday’s game with a 22-16 record and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They were a half-game behind the fourth-place Raptors (24-17), 1½ games behind third-place Boston Celtics, and 2½ games behind the second-place New York Knicks. However, the Sixers were only 1½ games ahead of the seventh-place Cavs (22-19).

    “I try to look at it just from a competitive standpoint,” Barlow said of keeping up with the standings. “But I try not to get too wrapped up in it, because we’ve got to control what we can control. When you look at that sometimes, you start to worry about when other teams are losing. We’ve got to worry about us winning.”

  • Sixers takeaways: Big Three’s impact, Kyle Lowry’s ovation, and more in a win over the Raptors

    Sixers takeaways: Big Three’s impact, Kyle Lowry’s ovation, and more in a win over the Raptors

    It was evident from the beginning that the 76ers are a completely different team with the Big Three in the lineup.

    On the road, there’s no better scorer than Tyrese Maxey.

    VJ Edgecombe continues to display his shotmaking and versatility.

    And they will always love Kyle Lowry in Toronto.

    Sixers ride 80-point first half, Tyrese Maxey’s 33 points to beat the Raptors 115-102

    Those things stood out in Monday’s 115-102 victory over the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

    Better with Embiid and George

    Early in the season, some questioned if the Sixers played better without Joel Embiid. The team lost its first four matchups when the Big Three of Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George all played. So there were some doubts about the group’s ability to lead the squad.

    But if the starts of the last two games they played together have proven one thing, it’s that the Sixers (22-16) are actually a way better team with them in the lineup.

    The Sixers looked lost without the full trio early on during Sunday’s 116-115 overtime loss to the Raptors (24-17). But on Monday, the Sixers looked like a bona fide Eastern Conference championship contender.

    “Opened the floor up,” Maxey said to reporters about the presence of Embiid and George on Monday night. “And you’ve got to guard them. You’ve got to guard them every [second] out there on the court. That opened up the game for everybody else.”

    Sixers center Joel Embiid (left) defends Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles during the first half.

    Maxey scored 18 of his game-high 33 points in the first quarter in Monday’s rout. Embiid tallied 11 of his 27 points in the frame, while George had eight of his 15.

    Following their lead, the Sixers shot 14-for-17 — including going 7 of 8 on three-pointers — and made all 10 free throws while ending the first quarter with a 45-28 advantage.

    The Sixers built a 31-point second-quarter cushion before taking an 80-51 halftime lead. Their 80 points were the most of any half since scoring 80 in the first half against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 13, 2022.

    Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    But Embiid (left knee injury management and left groin soreness) and George (left knee soreness) missed Sunday’s game. And the Sixers struggled mightily without them to start the game.

    They shot 37.8% from the field — including making just 2 of 14 three-pointers — in the first half. They had six assists and nine turnovers in the half. The Sixers finished with 22 turnovers compared to just 11 assists that night.

    On Monday, they had 22 assists and 16 turnovers. Most important, the Sixers have won three straight and six of their last seven games when the Big Three play.

    The Sixers’ Paul George (right) fouls Raptors forward Brandon Ingram during the first half of Monday’s game.

    In addition to shooting 9-for-17, Embiid had eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and seven turnovers. George made 5 of 13 shots, along with four rebounds, six assists, and one turnover.

    Top road scorer

    Maxey is the league’s top road scorer, averaging 32.1 points in his 18 games away from Xfinity Mobile Arena. His highlight was the career-high 54 points scored against the Bucks on Nov. 20 in Milwaukee.

    But he had an impressive showing during this back-to-back series against Toronto. The All-NBA caliber point guard’s 33 points came after finishing with a game-high 38 on Sunday.

    On Monday, Maxey made 10 of 16 shots — including shooting 6-for-9 on three-pointers — along with four rebounds, two assists, and one turnover. It was his 19th performance with at least 30 points.

    Excelling on the road in hostile environments is a valuable trait, especially for a team that will play eight of its 11 games in February away from home.

    Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four

    Versatile rookie

    Edgecombe headed into Monday night’s game as the NBA leader in loose balls recovered with 45. He was also ninth in the league in steals at 1.6 per game. And the 6-foot-5 shooting guard ranked third among rookies in scoring (16.1).

    “VJ’s probably two biggest qualities, or one, he does a little bit of everything,” coach Nick Nurse told the media before Sunday’s game. “He really can defend. He makes plays. He’ll rebound and block shots, steal the ball. He’ll shoot threes and make big buckets. He does a lot of everything well.

    “And two, he’s super composed. He kind of has the same demeanor all the time, same work ethic all the time. He walks around like a guy that’s been in the league 10 years.”

    Edgecombe’s versatility was on full display on Monday.

    The 20-year-old scored 15 points on 5-for-6 three-point shooting. He also had a team-high eight assists, one steal, and two turnovers.

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (right) defends the Raptors’ Immanuel Quickley on Monday night.

    Greatest Raptor

    Lowry made his imprint as an NBA player during his nine seasons in Toronto. In Canada, he’s regarded as the greatest Raptor of all-time for being a six-time All-Star and leading the franchise to its only NBA title in 2019. And the fans still adore him whenever he returns to face his former squad.

    Before Sunday’s game, Lowry spoke to the media for close to 10 minutes. He talked about everything from playing in his 20th season to mentoring the Sixers’ young players, his relationship with former Raptors teammates Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, and his thoughts on one day seeing his No. 7 Raptors jersey retired and hanging in the Scotiabank Arena rafters.

    “If it does, it will be a super emotional day,” he told the media. “I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that 7. And to know it probably won’t ever be worn again will be pretty special. I think something for my basketball legacy is pretty, pretty, pretty darn cool.”

    Lowry didn’t play on Sunday. But his appearance on Monday was one for the ages for the 39-year-old in his 20th NBA season.

    Kyle Lowry returns to Toronto as a Raptors legend and Sixers leader: ‘I embrace it, and they embrace me’

    While he hasn’t mentioned anything about retirement, there’s a sense that this could be his last game played in that arena. And the 18,127 in attendance let the North Philly native know how much they still love him.

    The Raptors fans began chanting “We want Kyle” in reference to Nurse inserting him into the game during the midway point of the fourth quarter. Then, with 2 minutes 30 seconds left, there were louder chants. Those chants continued until the Sixers inserted him with 1:57 left to a standing ovation.

    He missed his three shot attempts, but got another standing ovation while holding the ball in the closing seconds. Lowry walked off the court clutching the game ball.

    “It was a great team win for us,” Lowry said to reporters. “And, you know, I got an opportunity to experience probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career.”

  • Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    The 76ers headed into Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening looking to ascend in the Eastern Conference.

    Didn’t happen.

    They suffered a 116-115 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors. While the Sixers (21-16) remain in fifth place, they’re 1½ games behind the fourth-place Raptors (24-16).

    The two Atlantic Division foes will meet again on Monday in the second game of the back-to-back series in Toronto.

    That means we’ll learn more about where the Sixers stand shortly. In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.

    Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers on X with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.

    Q: When Kelly Oubre Jr. gets healthy, should he be starting over Dom Barlow, or should we stick with Barlow, who we have found success with recently? — @Carter80113612

    A: Thanks for starting the mailbag, Carter. We know both were in the starting lineup on Sunday because Paul George was a late scratch due to left knee soreness. But it will be different moving forward.

    As a result, this is a great question that keeps coming up. I also keep going back and forth between Oubre and Barlow as the fifth starter. Both deserve to be in the lineup. I initially said Oubre, George, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey would make up my starting lineup once he returned.

    In that scenario, Barlow would be my seventh man behind Quentin Grimes.

    But then I changed my mind, because Barlow, being a true power forward, takes pressure off George to play that position. George has an easier time guarding small forwards on the perimeter than power forwards in the post. I also appreciate that Barlow doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.

    Dominick Barlow can remain in the Sixers’ starting lineup and be this season’s version of Marc Iavaroni.

    For me, he can be this season’s version of Marc Iavaroni, who started 77 games on the Sixers’ 1983 NBA championship team.

    The power forward averaged 5.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 20.2 minutes at power forward while starting alongside Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Mo Cheeks, along with Andrew Toney. Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Bobby Jones averaged 9.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 23.6 minutes off the bench as the sixth man.

    I think Oubre, who had been the Sixers’ X factor before his injury, can thrive in Jones’ role. He would thrive as the sixth man while playing a starter’s minutes.

    While his shots didn’t fall, Oubre made a significant impact in a reserve role during his first two games back from injury. With all things considered, I would keep him in that role.

    Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four
    Q: Will Jared McCain be on the team after the trade deadline? And what is his current trade value? — @MediumBall02

    A: He needs to be on the team. I know some people have soured on McCain due to his shooting slump and defensive shortcomings. The second-year guard was averaging 2.8 points on 25% shooting in the six games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Raptors.

    For the season, the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder averaged 6.6 points on 34.8% shooting — including making 31.9% of his three-pointers. He definitely needs to improve.

    But we shouldn’t forget that McCain had his rookie season cut short because of a torn meniscus in his left knee. In addition to the December 2024 injury, he had the start of this season delayed after suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb in September.

    Sixers guard Jared McCain averaged just 2.8 points on 25% shooting in the six games heading into Sunday’s contest against the Raptors

    Yes, he’s back on the court, but it usually takes 15 months postsurgery to fully get back to yourself following major knee injuries. In addition to that, McCain was the NBA rookie of the year front-runner last season before his injury. He’s not expected to fully regain his true form until late this season or next season.

    Sure, he has trade value due to being on a rookie deal that’s paying him $4.1 million this season, $4.4 million next season, and a potential club option for $6.7 million in 2027-28. But the Sixers have time to thoroughly evaluate what they have in him before deciding on his future.

    Plus, keeping him could be insurance just in case they lose Quentin Grimes in free agency this summer.

    Paul George thinks Sixers’ defense has ‘special’ potential after victory at Orlando Magic
    Q: Do you think Nick Nurse is being extra cautious with Trendon Watford? — @botman02_

    A: What’s up, Botman? It’s not a matter of being extra cautious. The coach said on Dec. 30 that the jury is still out on Watford regarding playing time. That’s because the coaching staff hasn’t seen much of him, due to injuries limiting the free-agent acquisition to just 15 games heading into Sunday’s contest. The power forward missed the preseason and the first three games of the season with a left hamstring issue. Watford returned on Wednesday after missing 17 consecutive games with a strained left thigh muscle suffered against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25.

    During that time, Barlow has excelled in his role as the starting power forward. Meanwhile, Jabari Walker has also been a solid backup for the Sixers.

    “Where he would slot back in, he’s going to probably have to earn that back in there, not unlike the other guys coming back off injury,” Nurse said of Watford. “I think it’s a bit of a process, usually.”

    Could New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32)and Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0), a former Roman Catholic standout, both get the nod over Joel Embiid in All-Star voting by Eastern Conference coaches?
    Q: Can Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will the coaches vote him in? — @_long_live_jai

    A: Great question, Jai. Anything is possible. The 2023 league MVP and seven-time All-Star has actually shown glimpses of his former dominant self. He scored a season-high 39 points against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 12. He scored at least 30 points in three other games. And he’s averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in his last six games.

    The problem is Embiid has missed 18 games. He’s also had a tough time moving and struggled mightily on defense early in the season. In the second round of fan voting, Embiid was 17th among conference All-Star votes. Unless he dominates the media and player voting, he won’t make the All-Star Game as a starter.

    Embiid’s playing more this season despite his injuries. Check his status for next game.

    So the coaches will have to decide whether he deserves the nod over players who have been more deserving in terms of availability and consistency.

    Embiid’s statistics don’t count regarding season rankings due to not playing in at least 70% of the Sixers’ games. However, his scoring average of 23.5 points would rank first among Eastern Conference centers if he played enough games.

    Right now, New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, Cleveland Cavs center/power forward Evan Mobley, and Miami Heat power forward/center Bam Adebayo might be the leading candidates to receive the coaches’ nod if not selected as starters.

    I know one thing. Embiid definitely has an opinion.

    “Am I going to make it? I think I should,” he said to the media following Friday’s road victory over the Orlando Magic. “I don’t think we’re pushing it enough. I think I got pretty good stats. So, maybe you guys should put the word out that Joel Embiid is back.”

  • Sixers takeaways: Inability to close out games and stop dribble drives are glaring in loss to Raptors

    Sixers takeaways: Inability to close out games and stop dribble drives are glaring in loss to Raptors

    The 76ers still have a problem closing out games.

    Their guards also need to do a better job of preventing straight-line drives.

    But on the positive side, Kelly Oubre Jr. is back to contributing on both ends of the floor.

    Those things stood out in Sunday’s 116-115 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena.

    Inability to close out

    The Sixers (21-16) were trending in the right direction after winning two straight and five of their last six games heading into this matchup. And with Tyrese Maxey scoring a game-high 38 points, they appeared capable of overcoming the huge absences of Joel Embiid (left knee injury management/left groin soreness) and Paul George (left knee soreness).

    Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four

    But an inability to close out the game reared its ugly head.

    Maxey hit a what appeared to be a 29-foot dagger three-pointer to give the Sixers a 107-103 cushion with 20.1 seconds left.

    However, they failed to inbound the ball. The Raptors (24-16) won two challenges and made two baskets to force overtime.

    The Sixers built a 112-108 lead with 2 minutes, 23 seconds remaining in overtime. But the Raptors responded with a 7-0 run to take a 115-112 lead after the Sixers missed two shots and committed a costly turnover.

    Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (left) led the team in points with 31 against the Sixers.

    VJ Edgecombe made a 30-foot three-pointer to knot the score at 115. However, Scottie Barnes got away with initiating contact with Oubre, who was called for a foul, on a drive with 0.8 seconds left.

    Barnes, who finished with 31 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, made the first foul shot and intentionally missed the second to win the game.

    The Sixers committed 22 turnovers and made just 8 of 31 three-pointers. But they were ultimately doomed by poor late-game execution. Something they need to correct.

    “We just got to be better, be more disciplined and stay together in those moments where we’re facing a little bit of adversity, because we both made runs,” Oubre said to reporters. “But you know, theirs was the final shot.”

    Scottie Barnes hits tiebreaking free throw in final second of OT as Raptors beat Sixers, 116-115

    Too many straight line drives

    Barnes will get the credit for winning Sunday’s game. However, the Raptors backcourt of Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead had their way with the Sixers guards. Quickley finished with 20 points and seven assists, while Shead had 22 and six assists.

    The duo had several downhill drives in the lane. If they couldn’t score, they kicked the ball out to teammates. Late in the game, Shead and Quickley drove the lane. Once the Sixers provided help defense, the guard would dump the ball off to a big man for a dunk.

    “We just got out of position on some of that,” coach Nick Nurse said to reporters. “I felt we went to help a little too early, and obviously left too big a passing lane for those dumboffs late.”

    But it started with the Sixers guards needing to do a better job of keeping opposing perimeter players in front of them.

    Oubre’s impact

    Before missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament, Oubre was the quiet assassin for the Sixers. The 6-foot-8 small forward averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in his first 12 games. In addition to excelling when the ball was moving, Oubre did a solid job of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player.

    He returned on Wednesday and provided solid defense that night against the Washington Wizards and again on Friday vs. the Orlando Magic. However, he averaged one point on a combined 1-for-9 shooting in those two games.

    Toronto Raptors guard Alijah Martin, left, strips the ball from Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. during overtime.

    He had the complete package against the Raptors.

    Oubre finished with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting to go with five rebounds and season highs of four steals and three blocks in his third game back. Nine of his points came in the third quarter.

    “He hasn’t really scored much since being back, so that’s obviously nice to see,” Nurse said. “He even hit a three, but had some really nice drives. He had a couple of good blocks and steals as well, which is why we ended up playing him as much as we did down the stretch.”

    He’ll go back to being an X-factor if he can keep this up.

    “It definitely felt good,” Oubre said. “It’s just, I think I could be better. I got blocked because I’m not trusting myself and the work that I put in.

    “So you know, just watching film, continue to just show up every day and get better. That’s all I can do. But it definitely felt good to get some run.”

  • Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four

    Don’t look now but the Sixers have turned a dire situation into a hopeful one behind their new Big Four

    Well, it’s not the same season it was seven weeks ago, is it?

    On Nov. 26, the 76ers were in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 9-8 record. They also were a day removed from a 144-103 loss to the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The 41-point drubbing was their worst home loss since a 135-87 drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics on Feb. 15, 2022. At the time, Joel Embiid missed eight consecutive games with right knee soreness. Kelly Oubre Jr. also was sidelined with a sprained left knee ligament. And Paul George had only played in three games because of left knee injury management and a sprained ankle.

    Whatever their chances were of contending for a conference championship, they’re drastically improved.

    Sixers takeaways: Paul George keeps taking over, Kelly Oubre Jr.’s energy outweighs shooting woes, and more in win over Magic

    In the team’s first meeting since the November rout, the Sixers defeated the Magic, 103-91, on Friday at the Kia Center. The fifth-place squad has a 21-15 record and is a half-game game behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors entering the teams’ two-game series on Sunday and Monday at Scotiabank Arena.

    Embiid is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Raptors (23-16) with left knee injury management. Not having been cleared previously to play on back-to-back nights, Embiid is expected to miss one of the matchups in Toronto. However, his current six-game streak is the longest since playing six straight from Jan. 15-25, 2024.

    Meanwhile, Oubre returned on Wednesday after missing 22 games. And now healthy and back to playing at a high level, George has shown signs of why the Sixers gave him a four-year, $211.5 million contract last summer to form a Big Three with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

    But …

    Rookie shooting guard VJ Edgecombe has been playing so well that we might want to reconsider adding him to the group and renaming it the Big Four.

    Not only are the Sixers the healthiest they’ve been in some time, but they all know and have accepted their roles, which has enabled them to thrive. And from a team culture standpoint, the Sixers have come a long way from the squad that had a well-publicized team meeting after a 106-89 road loss to the Miami Heat on Nov. 18, 2024.

    Joel Embiid has played in six consecutive games. It is his longest streak since playing in six straight from Jan. 15-25, 2024.

    In that meeting, Maxey called out Embiid for being late for team functions. Players also told coach Nick Nurse and his staff that they wanted to be coached harder. In turn, the coaches said they wanted the players to practice with purpose and attention to detail.

    So far this season, things have seemed like a love fest. Players have built bonds playing video games and blossomed into each other’s biggest supporters.

    On the court, Maxey, who entered Saturday as the league’s third-leading scorer at 30.7 points per game, has supplanted Embiid as the No. 1 option.

    But Embiid is moving better, and George is excelling in his role. The Sixers have benefited from those things.

    After starting 0-4 in games the Big Three played in this season, the Sixers have gone 5-1 with them.

    “I think Tyrese is kind of always going to be like explosive and scoring, pretty much, his speed and energy,” Nurse said. “But when we get to Joel in a few situations, you know he’s either going to get a bucket or a foul for a stretch. That gives our team a lot of confidence. And you shift over and give PG the ball a couple of times, then he gets a couple of buckets. And [the opposing players] are not quite sure where you are going to hit them from. … You still have to worry about some of the other guys out there, too.”

    Paul George thinks Sixers’ defense has ‘special’ potential after victory at Orlando Magic

    Nurse could be referring to Edgecombe, sixth man Quentin Grimes, and Oubre, once he regains his rhythm.

    Embiid (23.5 points per game) is the team’s second-leading scorer, followed by Edgecombe (16.1), George (16.0), Oubre (14.5), and Grimes (14.5).

    But now that they’re healthy, the Sixers have a chance, on paper, to be the deepest squad of Nurse’s three-year tenure.

    Dominick Barlow, Jared McCain, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona, Jabari Walker, Trendon Watford, Justin Edwards, and Eric Gordon also have made solid on-court contributions.

    Quentin Grimes has provided a huge lift off the Sixers bench.

    In addition to staying on the Raptors’ heels, Friday’s victory gave the Sixers the 2-1 head-to-head tiebreaker over the Magic. That could be valuable if the Sixers and Orlando finish the season with the same record.

    “It’s still early in the season,” Embiid said. “It’s kind of hard to start thinking about tie breaks and all that, but it’s good. Obviously, we’re right there with them. Our aim is to keep winning and keep climbing up the standings, and they happen to do the same thing, and if that’s needed. I guess that’s a good thing.”

    But it’s even better for them that the season is not the same as it was seven weeks ago.

    The Sixers have hope.