Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr added 25, but the Sixers would ultimately lose their fourth straight game following a 126-111 loss on Saturday night.
The Sixers still remain sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
Jordan Poole highlighted a 23-point performance with five three-pointers, as the Pelicans outscored Philadelphia 60-35 during the final 21 minutes.
Zion Williamson added 21 points, Saddiq Bey had 20, and 17-year veteran center DeAndre Jordan grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots.
The Sixers led from late in the first quarter until the final two minutes of the third, and by as many as 11 points. But the Pelicans chipped away, and Jeremiah Fearsâ free throws put New Orleans back in the lead at 91-89 in the third quarter.
VJ Edgecombe scored 14 for Philadelphia, which shot 31.4% in the second half, missing 21 of 24 three-point attempts.
Karlo Matkovic followed with a corner three and hit three free throws after being fouled on another deep shot. That gave him nine points â starting with his cutting dunk as he was fouled â during a 40-point period for the Pelicans.
New Orleans surged to a 97-91 lead by the end of three quarters and opened the fourth quarter on a 23-8 run, capped by Pooleâs three which made the score 120-99 with 5:20 left.
New Orleans remained comfortably in front from there, with Pooleâs virtually squelching any chance of a late Sixers comeback.
The Sixers will look to rebound on a back-to-back to take on Minnesota on Sunday night (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the 76ers 117-107 on Thursday night in the teamsâ first game after the All-Star break.
Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over the Sixers this season.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to right shin soreness.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.
The Hawks built an 11-point lead with approximately six minutes remaining before the Sixers charged back and closed within 108-104 with less than three minutes left. Atlanta closed the game with a 9-3 run that included five points by Johnson, who shot 14-for-16 from the line.
The 76ers said Embiid experienced soreness in his shin while participating in a right knee injury management program over the break. After consulting with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.
Coach Nick Nurse said before the game against the Hawks that the plan is to get Embiid on the court on Friday and âsee how he looks from there.â Nurse said he âdonât anticipate it being a long time.â
Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 31 games this season.
The Sixers will face the Pelicans on Saturday in New Orleans (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Following his Rising Stars MVP, VJ Edgecombe joined former NBA star Jeff Teague and co-hosts DJ Wells and Brandon Hendricks on the Club 520 Podcast. But if listeners didnât know any better, they might have thought they accidentally tuned into an episode of Kylie Kelceâs podcast, as Edgecombe repeatedly made it clear that he was “not gonna lie.”
The Sixers guard candidly discussed his pre-draft workouts, the intensity of Sixers practices, his relationships with his teammates, and his âWelcome to the NBAâ moment. Hereâs everything you missed from Edgecombeâs appearance on the Club 520 Podcast âŚ
âAt the beginning of the year, Iâm not going to lie, I thought I wasnât going nowhere,â said Edgecombe, who averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists at Baylor. âI thought I had to stay another year. And then conference [games] came around and I started hooping for real, for real.
âYou know the people that be doing all the little rankings and stuff? You know, you pay attention to that. Freshman year, they got me in like honorable mentions. Iâm not even in the top 10. Iâm like, itâs quiet, bro. Iâm like, Iâm going to have to run it back. And then conference came around and I just started hooping.â
Once Edgecombe declared for the draft, he participated in the NBA combine and decided to conduct a private workout with only one team: the Sixers.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse (right) talks to Edgecombe during a December game against the Pacers. Edgecombe won MVP of the NBA Rising Stars game over All-Star Weekend.
âI only worked out for one team. I took my chances, I ainât going to lie,â Edgecombe said. âAnd that was Philly. I only worked out in Philly. I went in there, Iâm not gonna lie, [and] shot four air balls. I was nervous as [expletive].
âBut then I was like if they draft me or not, itâs whatever at this point. I wasnât even trying to trip about it. But, Iâm not going to lie, Iâve never been so nervous, bro. Because you got the owners, you got everybody on the sideline just watching you.â
That risk ended up paying off. Edgecombe was drafted third overall by the Sixers and has been one of the leagueâs top rookies, averaging similar numbers to his lone season in Waco: 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Edgecombe joined a team with veteran players like Maxey, Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre Jr. When asked about the intensity of Sixers practices, Edgecombe responded: âI ainât going to lie, [expletive] about to throw hands in there at practice.â
However, Edgecombe believes that those high-energy practices â along with his one-on-one battles with Maxey â have helped the team when it comes time to compete.
âI feel like that helps us a lot though,â Edgecombe added. âMe and [Maxey] play ones. Thatâs the first time, Iâm going to be honest, the first time Iâm like Iâm really losing ones, for real. That [expletive] can hoop. I ainât going to lie. I didnât know he was that fast, bro. And he can shoot.â
Edgecombe said he’s continually impressed by Sixers center Joel Embiid (left).
âThey be dropping gems all the timeâ
When theyâre not getting ready to âthrow hands,â Edgecombe is learning from some of the vets on the team, including George, a nine-time NBA All-Star.
âThey be dropping gems all the time, bro,â Edgecombe said. âTeaching me off-the-court stuff, on-the-court stuff. I ainât going to lie, I been working with [George] too with ball-handling and all that, just trying to get in that bag, just trying to activate a different part of my game, bro. I mean, Iâm able to just run by [guys] sometimes, but you know just trying to be able to break [them] down. ⌠I feel like it will just make it a lot easier for me, if Iâm able to get to my spot and be able to break down.â
And when it comes to Embiid, Edgecombe is still impressed by the former MVPâs presence on the court.
âHe cool as [expletive],â Edgecombe said. âHe just chill. Be in his own little world. I swear, Iâve never seen someone really that good. I ainât going to lie. He good, bro. I sit there and just watch him. He just be going at people. I told him, âBro, if I was like 7-foot, I probably would have been able to guard him.â But, he being drawing fouls and all type of different stuff going on, bro.â
âThatâs my welcome to the NBA momentâ
When Edgecombe first made the transition to the NBA, he immediately recognized the difference in pace from college. But his true âWelcome to the NBAâ moment came on the defensive end.
âI had to guard Luka [Doncic], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], D-Book [Devin Booker], [Jalen] Brunson,â Edgecombe said. âI got to guard all of them. Thatâs my âWelcome to the NBAâ moment. Iâm not going to lie.â
When asked who was the toughest player to guard in the league, he responded: âI ainât going to lie to you, it was Ja Morant. He had 40 [points].â
LOS ANGELES â VJ Edgecombe did not want to waste Tyrese Maxeyâs time once he took his courtside seat for the Rising Stars event at NBA All-Star Weekend.
And Maxey wanted Edgecombe to answer his simple question.
âI said, âListen, what you going to do? You going for MVP or not?ââ Maxey recalled. âHe said he was going to go for it, and thatâs what he did. Thatâs just who VJ is. He plays every single game the same way.â
The 76ers guards were in sync during their time together in Los Angeles, mirroring how they have instantly become an electric duo during their first 54 games as NBA teammates. Their presence at All-Star Weekend â Maxey as a contender to wind up on MVP ballots, Edgecombe as one of the leagueâs top rookies â was warranted. Edgecombe winning MVP of the Rising Stars event, before Maxey helped spearhead Sundayâs championship-winning Team Stars, made the weekend a success.
Now, the two Sixers who both rank in the leagueâs top 10 in minutes logged must recharge for the regular seasonâs stretch run. The Sixers sit sixth in a competitive middle of the Eastern Conference. And with Paul George still serving a 25-game suspension and Joel Embiidâs health still a wild card â the former MVP center missed the final two games before the break with knee soreness â Maxey and Edgecombe are going to continue leading the charge.
Before the NBA season resumes, here are some other Philly basketball-related nuggets from All-Star Weekend.
Carter pegged Edgecombe as Rising Stars âcloserâ
Edgecombe may now have a new mentor in Hall of Famer Vince Carter, his fiery coach during the Rising Stars tournament.
Carter said Saturday morning that he already â[gravitates] to young talent that wants to be great, thatâs willing to listen, that wants to learn. Because I was that guy.â And Kyle Lowry, a friend of Carterâs and Edgecombeâs teammate, had already requested that Carter spend additional time with the Sixers rookie. Yet Carter had an inkling that Edgecombe initially thought his motivational tactics were âjust talkâ â until that carried from conversations, to the practice court, to Fridayâs games.
âNow that I think that he knows me, I mean what I say,â Carter said. â ⌠Iâm going to turn my volume up and Iâm going to get on your ass a little bit, and he appreciated that.â
Team Vince guard VJ Edgecombe opens his arms before embracing Sixers teammate Tyrese Maxey.
So when Edgecombe scored 10 consecutive points â including the game-winning jumper â to secure their teamâs first win of the night, it was no accident.
âOnce it came down to [needing a] closer,â Carter said, âI pulled him aside and said, âThis is what weâre going to do. Iâm going to put you in position. Letâs go.ââ
The âtankingâ debate
âTankingâ was the first topic addressed during NBA commissioner Adam Silverâs news conference, after the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers received fines of $500,000 and $100,000, respectively, for violating the player participation policy and âconduct detrimental to the league.â Both teams either rested or prematurely removed healthy key players to, presumably, increase their chances of losing the basketball game and improving their draft lottery odds.
âAre we seeing behavior that is worse this year than weâve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,â Silver said Saturday afternoon. âWhich was what led to those fines. And not just those fines, but to my statement that weâre going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teamsâ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.â
Maxey has a unique perspective on the tanking conundrum, following a 2024-25 Sixers season that began with championship aspirations but abruptly face-planted into an injury-riddled disaster.
During his All-Star media day news conference, Maxey reiterated how much last season taught him about mentally handling constant losing for the first time in his life. He was eventually shut down for the season with a finger injury, and other rotation players were held out of down-the-stretch games. The Sixers were also fined $100,000 during that period.
But Maxey also could not deny that âthe outcome was VJ Edgecombe,â after the Sixers landed the No. 3 overall pick in a dramatic draft lottery. Edgecombe became an immediate starter and impact player on both ends of the floor while averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey (left) and VJ Edgecombe are among the leaders in minutes played this season.
âHeâs great, man,â Maxey said of Edgecombe. âNot just basketball-wise, but for our team personality-wise and culture-wise for our organization and things that weâre trying to turn around.â
The Sixers will play 10 of their final 28 games against opponents expected to be tanking, including two apiece against the Jazz and Pacers.
Brunsonâs weekend a family affair
Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks guard and former Villanova standout, has become an All-Star regular, earning a spot on the more veteran U.S. Team Stripes.
He was part of Kawhi Leonardâs monster 31-point outburst to beat Team World, understandably deploying the point-guard strategy of âfeed him the ball, and get out of the way.â Brunson at one point in that game also got matched up against Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, which Brunson deadpanned meant, âNo matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in.â
Yet Brunsonâs highlight of the weekend was winning Saturdayâs Shooting Stars contest alongside Towns and Knicks legend Allan Houston. Their designated passer for the event? Rick Brunson, Jalenâs father and a Knicks assistant coach.
âSpending time with my family in an atmosphere like this, in a place like this,â Brunson said, âit really means the world to me.â
After a run to the Eastern Conference finals last spring, the Knicks season has been up-and-down. When asked which team is the biggest threat to New York in the conference, Brunson said one can âobviouslyâ point to the two teams currently ahead of them in the East standings: the second-place Boston Celtics and first-place Detroit Pistons.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s highlight of the weekend was spending time with family, including his father Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant.
But Brunson also cautioned that âthe East is better than what people think it is.â
âSo you canât really look ahead and you canât really be focused on one or two teams,â Brunson said. âYou have to prepare for everybody.â
Durenâs All-Star debut
Jalen Duren looked perfectly comfortable in the All-Star limelight, rocking sunglasses during Sundayâs postgame media session.
As a first-time All-Star, the Sharon Hill native and Roman Catholic product took in all the weekendâs extracurriculars â including âpictures, after pictures, after pictures, after pictures.â He also flashed what makes him an interior force for the East-leading Pistons, totaling six points and four rebounds in Team Starsâ dominant championship-game victory.
The 22-year-old Duren also found value in observing how his fellow All-Stars carried themselves through the weekend.
âBeing part of this group of guys, youâve got to walk with a certain type of pride and responsibility,â he said. âI think my perspective changed a little bit of how I approach the game and the rest of my career.â
VJ, meet Kareem
When asked about favorite parts of his first All-Star experience, Edgecombe enthusiastically mentioned the moment he wound up shaking hands with and sitting next to the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
âThat was fire,â Edgecombe said.
That reaction demonstrates the reverence Edgecombe has for the gameâs history, a trait Sixers coach Nick Nurse has mentioned when speaking about the rookieâs beyond-his-years basketball IQ.
âJust [to] be in the same room as [Abdul-Jabbar] is a blessing,â Edgecombe said following the Rising Stars tournament. âObviously, when we go on the floor, we try to honor everyone that came before us by playing hard, doing all the little things in the game. Grow it in the community off the floor. âŚ
âShout out to all the âOGsâ that came before me. Everyone. Itâs all love from me.â
There is no Philadelphia sports figure without blemish.
The Philliesâ hitters failed again, and Zack Wheeler is hurt. The Eagles collapsed en masse after winning their second Super Bowl; even Saquon Barkley took hits before and during the season. The Flyers remain mired in a rebuild. And no team has engendered as much disappointment, if not disgust, as the Sixers over the past 14 years.
With one exception.
Tyrese Maxey.
With his incandescent smile, his irrepressible joy, his boundless energy, and what has turned into a sterling set of skills and talents, Maxey is a beacon among the blurred and foggy landscape of Philadelphia sports.
Everybody loves Maxey. Heâs the breath of fresh air Philly sports needed. Heâs never worried about the score of the game. You never see him dog it. Heâs Pete Rose with a jump shot.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (right) no longer has to play second fiddle to Joel Embiid.
Maxey will represent the Sixers as an NBA All-Star Game starter in Los Angeles on Sunday. This is fitting, since heâs the embodiment of what the Sixers hope to be and emblematic of how Philadelphia sees itself.
Joel Embiid represents âThe Process,â has been diminished as a part-time role player, and is a reminder of the disastrous slash-and-burn rebuild that began in 2013.
Paul George represents the failed philosophy of Sixers president Daryl Morey, who bet everything on James Harden both in Houston and Philadelphia and made a similarly bad bet on George, addled by injury and seven games into a 25-game drug suspension.
Rookie guard VJ Edgecombe was the MVP of the Rising Stars All-Star competition Friday night and represents the future, but it is a future that depends on working in harness with Maxey.
Maxey represents the Philly of today: a city that sees itself as a collection of hardworking, well-meaning, decent, and spirited underdogs.
Philly guy
From Vince Papale to Rocky Balboa to the 2017 Eagles, Philly loves an underdog.
Eagles tackle Lane Johnson dons a dog mask after a playoff victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 13, 2018.
Maxey has always been an underdog.
He was never touted as an AAU player. He played for Kentucky for one uninspired season. He then was the 21st overall pick of the COVID-19 draft in 2020, behind the likes of Killian Hayes (seventh) and Kira Lewis (13th). A poor shooter, he started just eight games as a Sixers rookie. The Sixers hoped heâd be Dario Ĺ ariÄ or Landry Shamet, players drafted outside of the top 10 who have become dependable, if limited, NBA performers.
His maniacal offseason workout regimen focused on shooting and turned him from a 30.1% three-point shooter as a rookie into a 42.7% bomber in his second season. His scoring average over the years went from 8 points to 17.5 to 20.3 to 25.9, which made him the 2023-24 Most Improved Player and an All-Star reserve. He missed much of last season with injuries and still averaged 26.3 points, and now heâs at nearly 29 points per game, an All-Star starter, and an MVP candidate.
Like former Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said: Hungry dogs run faster.
Maxey stays hungry. Hungry for wins.
âI just want everybody to know I try extremely hard, I work extremely hard, and I leave it all out there on the court every single night. I play through whatever,â he said recently. âThatâs the legacy I want to leave behind. But the main thing is to win.
âThis is a town that believes in winning. And I believe in winning.â
Tyrese Maxey (left) and VJ Edgecombe form a potent combination at guard for the Sixers.
Ravenous
Maxey used to practice so much they had to take away his keys to the gym.
He never was expected to play point guard. The Sixers drafted Maxey while Ben Simmons was on the team, then traded Simmons for Harden, then, when Harden forced a trade in 2023, Maxey took over the point. It was not pretty. He went to work.
Heâs a complete point guard today. His ballhandling and passing have advanced so much that his Player Efficiency Rating this season is 22.72, about three points higher than his last All-Star season and fifth among point guards. He trails reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five-time top-10 MVP candidate Luka DonÄiÄ, two-time MVP Steph Curry, and 2026 All-Star and NBA champ Jamal Murray. Which is why Maxey is an MVP candidate himself.
âI play three different roles on this team,â he said. âSometimes Iâve got to shoot 30 times. Sometimes Iâve got to get Joel the ball. Sometimes I have to play full-time point guard and guard [elite] people. Thatâs OK. Whatever it takes to win.â
He didnât just develop a three-point shot, he developed Hardenâs three-point shot after pestering Harden to teach him during the Beardâs 1½ seasons with the Sixers. The result: a lethal, sidestep-stepback, coil-and-release mortar shell whose range knows no limit.
This season, he mastered the most important skill of any backcourt scorer: the pull-up jumper, the most lethal weapon in basketball, from Jerry West to Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to Kevin Durant.
How far has he come? Heâd dropped in the draft because he couldnât shoot. Now, on Saturday, heâll be the first Sixer to compete in the three-point shooting contest since Kyle Korver in 2005.
He remains driven by that disrespect, but he isnât disrespectful, and that endears him to Philly even more. Sure, Phillyâs a rough place. Some people got a kick out of Embiid and his Twitter-beefing with players like Karl-Anthony Towns. Some people loved it when Bryce Harper stared down mouthy Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia in the 2023 playoffs.
But those incidents also rubbed some people the wrong way. Maxey seems to always rub folks the right way.
Whatâs not to like? After all, Maxey is the No. 1 dog dad in a canine-crazed city.
Maxey owns three dogs. His first is named Apollo, after the Apollo Creed character in Rocky. Then he got Aries and Arrow. They are his family. Maxey told Sixers videographers that when he bought a house in South Jersey, he insisted it have lots of land: âTry to create a happy home for my dogs. Let them run around in this big backyard.â
He made a cameo appearance at the National Dog Show when it visited the Philadelphia area in November.
So, he loves dogs. He loves kids, too.
Maxey won the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award in 2024 for his offseason work with youths in Philadelphia and his native Dallas.
The NBA today announced @sixers guard Tyrese Maxey as the @nbacares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the offseason.
Maxey is being recognized for his efforts in supporting youth in Philadelphia and his hometown of Dallas through the Tyrese Maxey Foundation.
With Tyrese Maxey, itâs never about Tyrese Maxey.
I ran an informal Twitter/X poll Tuesday into Wednesday that asked, âWhoâs your favorite Philly athlete?â I listed Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Saquon Barkley, and Maxey. (X only allows four entries.) Maxey won with 38% of the votes. Schwarber got 23%, Harper got 15%, and Barkley got 24%.
No, itâs not a scientific poll, and yes, it drew only about 400 respondents, but it makes sense nevertheless.
When the local TV broadcast spotted Maxeyâs parents, Tyrone and Denyse (his name is a combination of theirs) at the Sixersâ game Saturday in Phoenix, play-by-play announcer Kate Scott called them âthe Royal Family of Philadelphia.â
Thatâs because, at this moment, their son is king.
Always âus,â never âmeâ
In an era of shameless self-promotion, Maxey never lobbies for personal accolades. He has never deemed himself an All-Star or an MVP until somebody else deemed him thus.
Heâs always accountable, but he spreads the love. When Embiid dropped 40 on Jan. 31, Maxey detailed how the big guyâs game had developed to the point that Embiid found Maxey late in the game instead of forcing his own shot: âHe played the right way.â
When George got suspended in the middle of a playoff push, Maxey never wavered: âWe stand with Paul.â
He plays a childâs game with a childâs glee. It isnât perfect, but Maxey has the most recognizable Philly smile since Flyers legend Bobby Clarke, and he flashes it all the time.
Bobby Clarke and Ed Snider in the Flyers’ locker room in 1974. (Spectrum Archives)
From diet to conditioning to practice to rest, he adores the process and the progress as much as he relishes the result.
It was Maxey who, in a team meeting last season, finally confronted Embiid about his selfishly tardy habits: how he kept teammates waiting at meetings, on buses, and on planes.
Maxey just shows up on time, pays attention, and plays his hardest every second. Heâs the type of player Philadelphians swear they would be if they had the chance. He understands that he has a gift, and that he should rejoice in his gift, even if it doesnât take him to the top of the mountain.
The loss dropped the Sixers to 30-24. The Eastern Conferenceâs sixth-place team takes a two-game losing streak into the NBA All-Star break. Meanwhile, the third-place Knicks improved to 35-20 after posting their largest victory in franchise history and evened the season series with the Sixers at two games apiece.
No Embiid, no victory
Remember when Embiid couldnât move well at the beginning of the season?
Back then, the Sixers played at a noticeably slower pace on nights when the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center was in the lineup. As a result, there was a growing belief that the team was better when Adem Bona or Andre Drummond started in his place.
No one thinks that anymore.
Embiid missed his second consecutive game on Wednesday with right knee soreness. And he was sorely missed.
The Sixers have now lost six of the last seven games that Embiid has not played. Their lone victory during that stretch was a 113-94 decision over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 3 at Chase Center. The Sixers are 11-12 without him and 19-12 when he plays.
The Sixers trailed by as many as 52 points against the Knicks. This came after they trailed by as many as 31 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
New York scored 32 points off 18 Sixers turnovers. The Knicks also had a commanding 51-38 rebounding advantage in Phillyâs most-lopsided loss of the season.
The Sixers must find a way to play well in games without Embiid, considering heâs going to miss more time due to not playing in back-to-backs.
âThereâs been some, probably not as good of nights [without Embiid],â coach Nick Nurse said. âAnd I think most of it has been offensively. When I thought we were operating really well early in the year with some of the stuff we kind of put in in training camp, and just kind of maybe get back and readjust [to playing without him] we go over it a little bit and look at some of that stuff, because weâre obviously capable of playing pretty decently offensively as well.â
Tyrese Maxey finished with a game-high 32 points to go with two assists. His backcourt mate, VJ Edgecombe, added 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Dominick Barlow had 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
However, Bona got into early foul trouble and finished with six points, five rebounds, two steals, two turnovers, and four fouls, while being minus-24 in 22 minutes, 42 seconds. Drummond had two points and four rebounds and was minus-10 in 10:38 off the bench. He was replaced by Charles Bassey in the rotation during the second half.
Bassey, whose second 10-day contract expires on Saturday, had two points and one block in 4:38. Following the game, he was assigned to the Delaware Blue Coats.
âItâs weird, man,â Maxey said of readjusting to play without Embiid. âItâs weird because you got to play multiple different ways. A lot of times when he sits out, itâs on back-to-backs, so itâs hard. You go from playing one way with him or without him early in the season. He comes back and then you got to play that way and then a different way when heâs there, which is OK. Itâs fine, you know what I mean?
âItâs the reality of it, and I think weâll be all right. Heâll be here more than he isnât here when we get back, and we just got to maintain. Those games that heâs not there and [suspended forward] Paul [George] probably wonât be there till the end, so we just got to maintain.â
The Sixers also struggled to contain Jose Alvarado. The reserve guard, acquired last week in a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, finished with 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the three-point line. He also finished with a game-high five steals.
The Brooklyn nativeâs play drew loud âJose ⌠Jose ⌠Jose!â chants from the Knicks fans who made up at least half of the 19,746 in attendance.
âObviously, we had zero readiness and energy physically or mentally,â said Nurse, whose squad trailed 72-42 at intermission. âWe kind of got to the half, the game was pretty much settled by then, and just going over all the things that we already gone over that we couldnât get done.â
This past summer, the Sixers were excited about their deep, versatile backcourt rotation featuring Maxey, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain.
Daryl Morey, the teamâs president of basketball operations, likened it to the guard-heavy style used by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers to reach last seasonâs NBA Finals.
But the Sixers traded McCain on Feb. 4 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a first-round pick and three second-rounders. Meanwhile, Grimes has missed the past two games with an illness.
The Sixers also traded Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 5 for a pick swap. As a result, Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp, and Dalen Terry joined Maxey and Edgecombe as the available guards against the Knicks.
And that wasnât good.
Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey (right) scored a game-high 32 points against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Lowry is a six-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. But in his 20th NBA season, the 39-year-old has taken on more of a player-coach and mentor role. Meanwhile, Beauchamp and Terry are both on two-way contracts.
Beauchamp made his first appearance in Mondayâs loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, one assist, one block, and three turnovers against the Knicks. And Terry had a rebound, an assist, and one turnover one day after signing his two-way contract with the team.
The Sixers need to strongly consider adding a guard in the buyout market. That will help Maxey and Edgecombe, especially on nights Grimes is unavailable.
Meanwhile, McCain appears to be finding his groove in Oklahoma City.
The second-year guard had 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting â including making 2 of 3 three-pointers â in the Thunderâs 136-109 victory over the Suns. McCain scored eight of his points in 75 seconds.
The Sixers had more problems than being without Embiid and a lack of guard depth. Against the Knicks, they shot 18.8% (6 of 32) from three-point range.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (0-for-5), Edgecombe (0-for-5), Justin Edwards (0-for-3), Trendon Watford (0-for-2), Terry (0-for-1), and Johni Broome (0-for-1) were a combined 0-for-17.
A lot of the Sixersâ three-pointers were short or off target. The squad appeared noticeably fatigued in their first home after following a five-game West Coast road.
âMaybe,â Maxey said when asked if being tired impacted their three-point shooting. âI think, in general, guys are a little tired, but thatâs what the break is for, though. Thatâs what the [All-Star] break is for. Rejuvenate, get your legs back under you. Get mentally prepared for this stretch because after the break, itâs go time. Itâs go time for every team in the NBA thatâs trying to make a push, for sure. They want to play their best basketball down the stretch to get ready for the playoffs.â
The Sixers are 16th in the league in three-point shooting at 35.6%. However, theyâre 21st in made threes (12.7 per game). And the squad hit less than half that amount against the Knicks.
As bad as things were, this wasnât the fewest amount of made three-pointers for the Sixers this season. They made 4 of 28 in a road victory over the Orlando Magic on Jan. 9.
The Sixers were fortunate that night. They know they must shoot the ball better to stay in games, especially when Embiid doesnât play.
Those moves were made in part to accomplish the teamâs goal of getting under the luxury tax threshold at the trade deadline for the fourth consecutive year. But the Sixers will still need to make roster additions for what they hope is a championship run.
Right now, Charles Bassey is on his second 10-day contract, while Patrick Baldwin Jr. is on his first 10-day. Once those contracts expire on Saturday, the Sixers will have two available roster spots.
Since five games have passed during Paul Georgeâs 25-game suspension, the forward will be moved from the active to the suspended list. So the Sixers will be able to sign an additional player if need be.
The team could opt to use one of the available spots to convert Jabari Walkerâs two-way contract into a standard contract, as the Sixers did with Dominick Barlow on Thursday. Walker has been inactive for the last two games because he ran out of the allotted number of games a two-way player can be available for an NBA game.
The Sixers also can try to sign players via the buyout market. However, Walkerâs situation will factor into their decision-making.
The Sixers have to decide whether they want to convert Jabari Walker’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal or add players in the buyout market.
âJabari, for sure,â Morey said. âNot to reference our [collective bargaining agreement] we all live under, [but] itâs sort of like, you know, annoying … just how it all works, that Jabari canât play for some games here. Heâs obviously been part of our next man up mentality. I think coach [Nick] Nurse has done a good job when weâve had players in and out, which weâve had less of this year. But weâve still had quite a bit, especially with the recent Paul news, things like that.â
With George suspended for violating the leagueâs anti-drug program, Barlow has moved back into the starting lineup at power forward. Trendon Watford and Justin Edwards have been the two forwards off the bench.
âHeâs been a tremendous next man up type contributor,â Morey said of Walker. âWe hope to have his services going forward, but we do have to weigh optimal use of our sort of scarce two roster spots, and against the other opportunities as well. So thatâll be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion there.â
The Sixers are $1.57 million below the $187.9 million tax line and $3.75 million under the $195.9 million first apron. As a result, the Sixers will have only enough space under the luxury tax to fit two more season minimum salary contracts for the rest of the season.
Among the buyout-market candidates are power forward Chris Boucher, point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Haywood Highsmith, and wing Khris Middleton, if he is waived by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics traded Boucher to the Utah Jazz, who waived him.
Boucher failed to crack the Celticsâ rotation after signing a one-year minimum deal this past summer. However, he flourished in the last seven seasons as a reserve glue guy for the Toronto Raptors. Nurse was Raptors coach during Boucherâs first five seasons in Toronto. He was able to get the best out of the undersized post player, who averaged 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 406 games as a Raptor.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow had his two-way contract converted to a standard deal on Thursday.
Highsmith began his NBA career as a Sixers two-way player on Jan. 8, 2019. After being waived less than a month later, he thrived with the Delaware Blue Coats, leading to an opportunity with the Miami Heat. He played in 213 games, with 80 starts, over four seasons with the Heat before signing with the Brooklyn Nets last summer.
He has not played this season because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. Now healthy, Highsmith has been taking part in five-on-five drills and was on track to return Wednesday before the Nets released him to free up a roster spot. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder is expected to draw interest from teams looking for wing depth.
Middleton is a three-time All-Star with career averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, while shooting 38.5% from three-point range in 810 games over 14 seasons.
Because of injuries, the Milwaukee Bucks moved the former fixture to the Washington Wizards last February in a four-team trade that enabled them to acquire Kyle Kuzma from Washington. On Thursday, Middleton was moved to the Mavericks as part of a three-team trade that netted the Wizards 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
While heâs not the player he once was, Middleton could be a solid option to provide some scoring off the bench if the Mavs buy him out.
Ball was the second overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017. The 6-5, 190-pounder also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls before a significant knee injury derailed his career. The Bulls traded him to the Cleveland Cavaliers in June. In a salary-clearing move, Cleveland traded him on Thursday to the Jazz, who waived him.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball could be available for teams to sign in the buyout market.
He averaged just 4.6 points on 30.1% shooting (27.2% on three-pointers) in 35 games with three starts for the Cavs. But he could be an option to provide guard depth after the Sixers parted ways with McCain and Gordon.
âI mean, we have two [spots] to fill,â Morey said of the teamâs needs. âObviously, Barlow was one of the signings. I think balancing it out with guard and wing might â we really want to go for best player. I mean, obviously, that sounds trite, but thatâs true. You do want to focus on a little roster balance in terms of adding. …
âWe thought, yeah, backfilling Paul was a possible spot while he was out, but I hate to repeat it again, the operative players that were available [in a trade] werenât adding in a way that was material [compared] to what teams wanted us to give up.â
Tyrese Maxey will compete in the three-point contest on Saturday at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, the NBA announced Sunday afternoon.
Maxey, the 76ersâ standout point guard, is one of the NBAâs most dangerous three-point shooters, connecting on 38.2% of his 8.8 attempts per game. That effectiveness from deep has contributed to Maxey entering Sunday ranked sixth in the NBA in scoring at 28.8 points per game.
The three-point contest is part of the All-Star Saturday festivities. The other three-point contest participants are the Phoenix Sunsâ Devin Booker, the Charlotte Hornetsâ Kon Kneuppel, the Portland Trail Blazersâ Damian Lillard, the Cleveland Cavaliersâ Donovan Mitchell, the Denver Nuggetsâ Jamal Murray, the Milwaukee Bucksâ Bobby Portis, and the Miami Heatâs Norman Powell.
Maxey is also an Eastern Conference starter for the All-Star Game next Sunday. Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe will play in the Rising Stars competition on Friday.
Daryl Morey tried his best during Fridayâs 28-minute press conference to convince people that trading Jared McCain was good for the 76ers.
But the Sixers president of basketball operations could have spoken for 28 days, and it wouldnât have changed folksâ minds that this deal was made to save money.
No matter how much Morey and the organization preach positivity, the Sixers did not get better by trading the second-year guard to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick and three second-rounders. They may have actually gotten fleeced by Sam Presti, the Thunder executive vice president and general manager.
Based on their tendency to win deals, Presti and Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge are the two executives you donât want to trade with. And the fact that Presti surrendered a first-rounder â something he hasnât done since 2015 â reveals that he sees something special in McCain.
This trade has the potential to be one that the Sixers will regret in a few seasons.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder received a standing ovation while checking into the game during his Thunder debut on Saturday in Oklahoma City. He finished with five points, two rebounds, and one assist while a plus-12 in 13 minutes, 56 seconds during the 112-106 loss to the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center.
These are reasons why Sixers fans are up in arms over this move, and see it for what it is: a way to get under the luxury tax threshold for a fourth consecutive season.
But give Morey credit for trying to sell the trade to the media and Sixers fans.
The team will receive the Houston Rocketsâ 2026 first-round pick, which is expected to be a late first-rounder. One of the second-rounders is the most favorable 2027 pick from the Thunder, Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and the Miami Heat. The other second-rounders are 2028 picks that previously belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks and Thunder.
Daryl Morey speaks at the team’s NBA training facility on Friday.
âSort of the whole tell with people who donât like the deal is theyâll leave off the return, minimize this draft, which we think is good, and things like that âŚ,â Morey said. âThat return is for a starter-quality player on a good team. Itâs actually above that.â
Morey added that the Sixers tried to trade those draft picks for an impactful addition at the deadline. He also thinks they could use them as tradable assets to move around in the draft.
Morey did say that McCain has the potential to be a great player. He even noted that the Sixers wish the 21-year-old good luck. Morey added that they feel the returns for McCain put them in a better position for the future.
But what if they canât swap those picks for the standout player Morey envisions?
Will people think back to when the Sixers traded Matisse Thybulle as part of a four-team trade on Feb. 9, 2023, that helped them get under the luxury tax?
Welcome to OKC, Jared McCain!
He receives a warm welcome as he checks into his first game for the Thunder âď¸
The team acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets in that deal.
âA big theme of our season this year was to prepare for the playoffs, and win a championship as you guys know,â Morey said then. âWe wanted to make sure we gave [coach Doc Rivers] as many two-way players as possible.
âAnd we think Jalen is one of the up-and-coming solid defenders, somebody thatâs a little easier to keep on the floor in a lot of matchups.â
The problem is that McDaniels gradually found himself out of the rotation during the Sixersâ second-round playoff series loss to the Boston Celtics.
The 6-9 small forward signed with the Toronto Raptors on July 6, 2023, after the Sixers only offered him a minimum-salary contract to remain with the team in free agency.
Unable to find his footing with several other teams, McDaniels is out of the league.
The Sixers traded guard Jared McCain for a first-round pick and three second-rounders to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thereâs also some uncertainty surrounding the type of players the Sixers could get with the picks acquired from OKC, assuming they keep them.
While there are some exceptions, with Sixers two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey (21st pick in 2020) being one of them, late first-rounders and second-rounders often have brief NBA careers. And very few of those players become stars, and even fewer become value rotation players.
Yet, McCain, whom the Sixers selected 16th in the 2024 draft, averaged 10 points and made 38.1% of his three-pointers in 60 career games with the Sixers.
He was the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year front-runner before suffering a season-ending torn meniscus in his left knee in December 2024.
Despite playing in just 23 games last season, McCain finished tied for seventh in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was awarded a third-place vote from the media panel of 100 voters.
Thatâs because McCain put the league on notice by averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season. He also shot 46% from the field, including 38.3% from three. The California native joined Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as the only Sixers rookies to average at least 15 points and two made three-pointers.
In addition to last season being cut short, the start of this season was delayed after he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb in September.
While returning from the injuries, McCain struggled with consistency this season, leaving him out of the rotation at times. He averaged just 6.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 37.8% on three-pointers in 37 games this season.
But once a player returns from a major knee injury, it can take up to an additional five or six months to regain his old form.
Daryl Morey said âtime will tell” if it was the right move to trade McCain for picks.
With that, the expectation was that we would start seeing flashes of the old McCain at the end of this season. Even if they felt strongly about trading him, one would have thought his value would have been higher this summer when heâd be back to his old self.
Morey didnât see it that way.
âIâm quite confident we were selling high,â he said. âObviously, time will tell. We werenât looking to sell. Iâll be frank. Teams came to us with aggressive offers for him. You could say, âYeah, thatâs because heâs a good player.â I agree with that. We thought this return was above, for the future value of our franchise, what we could get. The only higher point wouldâve been during his run last season. Otherwise, we feel like we did time this well.â
The thing is, however, the Sixers will have a tough time convincing people that trading McCain isnât a move to duck the luxury tax for the fourth consecutive season.
The 76ers need to keep playing a heady brand of basketball.
Tyrese Maxey is unguardable when in his bag of tricks.
And so far, Paul Georgeâs absence hasnât had a major impact on the outcomes of games.
These things stood out in Saturdayâs 109-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center.
With the win, the Sixers improved to 30-22 and evened the two-game season series against the Suns (31-22). Theyâre also 3-1 in the first four games of their five-game West Coast road trip, which concludes on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.
Solid brand of basketball
The Sixers had effective ball movement against the Suns. They also attacked the basket, crashed the boards, and played at a much faster pace than in recent games.
In addition to doing those things, they didnât back down from Phoenixâs physicality or Dillon Brooksâ antics. Kelly Oubre Jr. got in the face of his former roommate and high school teammate at Findlay Prep (Nevada) after Brooks flopped on a play.
Before that, Joel Embiid and Devin Booker exchanged words at the conclusion of the first half. And there were other heated exchanges.
Joel Embiid (21), who led with a game-high 33-point effort, gets fouled by Suns guard Jordan Goodwin in the first half of Saturday’s game.
The Sixers didnât match the physicality of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season. So seeing them fight back and play with an edge against the Suns was a great sign.
âWe stayed professional,â Maxey said to the media. âWe didnât let all the rah rah stuff affect us. We got physical back, and thatâs good. That happens, and we can take that.â
Maxey said he could anticipate the Sunsâ antics. With the Sixers up 16 points in the second quarter, he knew Phoenix would resort to something.
âAny good team or any team thatâs playing for something, theyâre not going to let you steamroll them. Theyâre not going to lay down. They are going to go out there and try to put up a fight. And sometimes thatâs what has to come with it. You have to get more physical, and you have to sustain that lead. And we did a good job of that.â
The Sixers had a 50-40 rebounding advantage. They scored 34 points in the paint and held the Suns to 23.9% three-point shooting.
Embiid finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one block. Maxey finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal, while Oubre added 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Maxey had a slow start, missing his first three shot attempts. But after that, the two-time All-Star was close to unstoppable.
Unable to keep him in front of them, the Sunsâ defenders were helpless. The point guard drained a couple of his three-pointers. He scored on a post-up. And Maxey played through contact on his way to the rim. Fourteen of his points came in the first half.
âWe just played fast that group that I was in there with,â Maxey said regarding the first half. âGot rebounds, got stops, and got out and ran, trying to make sure everybody touched the ball, everybody involved, and it was good.â
Maxey missed his first three shots in the second half. But after settling down, the Suns, once again, had a tough time guarding him.
Making 8 of 9 foul shots, the sixth-year player scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. His last two with 11.8 seconds remaining gave the Sixers their six-point cushion.
The Sixers are a better team with George on the floor. The nine-time All-Star is a solid facilitator and one of their best defenders. As a result, there was a thought that the team would struggle while he serves a 25-game suspension for violating the NBAâs Anti-Drug Program.
So far, that hasnât been the case.
The Sixers are 4-1 in the first five games without the 6-8 forward. Their lone loss was Thursdayâs 119-115 setback to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Different players stepped up to help Embiid and Maxey in each of their victories. On Saturday, it was Trendon Watford in addition to Oubre.
âHeâs become a little more important now [what] the roster is,â said Sixers coach Nick Nurse. âIf one of those guys gets in foul trouble, heâs got to kind of be another ball handler. I thought he did a good job.
âHeâs starting to show a little bit of element of some toughness, kind of standing up to [the Suns with] some of his physicality out there.â
Watford finished with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
While he didnât score a lot of points, the reserve point forward displayed a lot of toughness and did a lot of intangible things. Being impactful, Watford played the entire fourth quarter. Thatâs when he had four points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
âThe big thing for us is he can handle the ball,â Maxey said of his close friend. âHeâs a connector. We needed that for a long time. Nico [Batum during the 2023-24 season] was probably the last [point forward] we had. But he doesnât handle the ball as much as TY does. So he does a good job of handling the ball. He can play pick-and-roll. He can post, get a bucket down there in the post. We just got to get him to play some defense, then we will be alright.â
