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  • Tyrese Maxey addresses viral argument with VJ Edgecombe: ‘That’s my little brother’

    Tyrese Maxey addresses viral argument with VJ Edgecombe: ‘That’s my little brother’

    There will be times when passionate teammates have heated exchanges.

    One of those occasions happened Friday night between the 76ers’ backcourt mates, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, during a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    The two were spotted arguing near the bench during a break in action after Edgecombe left Cavs standout Donovan Mitchell wide-open for a three-pointer. Maxey yelled something to Edgecombe after the made basket, and the discussion continued on the sideline during a timeout. The two-time All-Star point guard even rose from the bench to further explain his point to Edgecombe, leading to a spirited discussion in front of teammates, coaches, fans, and cameras.

    https://www.inquirer.com/sports/sixers-indiana-pacers-takeaways-tyrese-maxey-joel-embiid-pascal-siakam-20260119.html

    A video of the exchange, which circulated on social media, has gone viral.

    “I was not aware until my dad called me and was like, ‘Hey, you and VJ good?’” Maxey said. “I was like, ‘Uh, yeah. Why?’ A couple of people sent [the video] to me, and I kind of just laughed at it. We want to win so, so bad. And we talked about the scenario of, like, not leaving Donovan Mitchell. … I didn’t want him to leave Donovan Mitchell.”

    With Mitchell running down the court, Maxey wanted Edgecombe to switch off Craig Porter Jr., the ball handler. Instead, both players followed Porter, who passed to a wide-open Mitchell.

    After catching the pass, the six-time All-Star stepped into a 27-foot three-pointer to knot the score at 16 with 6 minutes, 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Sixers held Mitchell to 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting that night after he tormented them for 35 points two nights before.

    Aside from the miscommunication, the Sixers guards did a solid job defending him. However, they struggled offensively. Maxey had 22 points on 9-for-23 shooting. Edgecombe scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. He didn’t attempt a shot in the third quarter and scored three points on 1-for-2 shooting in the fourth.

    But a lot of attention went to their exchange in the video.

    Second-half goals for the Sixers: Tyrese Maxey’s MVP push, Jared McCain’s minutes and more Joel Embiid dunks

    “I just told him, like, man, in certain scenarios, certain principles go out the window,” Maxey said of wanting Edgecombe to switch on to Mitchell. “Like, this dude is really good, and he had 35 on us last night. I say all that to say, we just want to win. Like, we laughed about it after the game. I was the first person to tell him, like, ‘Dude, you shooting five times in a basketball game is not going to cut it for us. Like, we need you. You’ve got to be up to 10, 12. Like, you’ve got to be aggressive.’

    “So, man, that’s fine. That’s my dog. That’s my little brother.”

    McConnell’s milestone

    On Friday, T.J. McConnell joined another former Sixer, Lou Williams, as the only players in NBA history to record 3,000 assists off the bench.

    McConnell, who’s in his seventh season with the Indiana Pacers, reached the milestone with two assists in the first quarter of the Pacers’ 129-117 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

    Williams, who played a combined 17 seasons with the Sixers, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers, recorded 3,262 assists as a reserve and added 527 as a starter.

    Former Sixers guard T.J. McConnell (9), now with the Indiana Pacers, posted a stat that is unique to only two players who spent time in Philly.

    After adding three assists in Monday’s 114-103 loss to the Sixers, McConnell has 3,010 assists off the bench. The 11th-year veteran is just one of five players to reach career marks of 3,000-plus points, 2,000-plus assists, 1,500-plus rebounds, and 500-plus steals as a reserve.

    “I feel like my playing here established the player I was going to be throughout my career,” McConnell said of spending his first four NBA seasons with the Sixers. “It established a mindset on how I’m going to play, how I’m going to go about it, and how I’m going to be a pro.

    “Obviously, I’m very thankful for my time here, because I wouldn’t have been put in a position to play as many years as I did. For them to take a chance on me and establish the type of player I want to be, I’m thankful.”

    The NBA journey of former Villanova star Collin Gillespie seems unlikely to everyone — except him

    Undrafted out of Arizona, McConnell began his NBA journey as the Sixers’ fifth-string point guard during training camp in 2015. At the time, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder didn’t even have a locker.

    The former Sixers fan favorite averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 assists in 314 games with 72 starts before signing a free-agent deal with the Pacers on July 29, 2019.

  • Does Tyrese Maxey ‘hate’ VJ Edgecombe? The Sixers stars have a little fun with a heated moment.

    Does Tyrese Maxey ‘hate’ VJ Edgecombe? The Sixers stars have a little fun with a heated moment.

    After the 76ers beat Indiana on Monday night, VJ Edgecombe wanted to get something on the record in his postgame interview with Tyrese Maxey.

    “For the record, man, we do not hate each other,” Edgecombe said.

    “I hate you. Don’t talk to me ever again, and go in the locker room,” Maxey joked in response.

    Online speculation about whether Maxey and Edgecombe liked each other started after a defensive miscommunication in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Cleveland led to an open Donovan Mitchell three. Maxey and Edgecombe were caught on the bench having what appeared to be a heated conversation after the play.

    But on Monday, after Maxey was named an All-Star starter, Edgecombe was the first person to reach out to him — telling reporters he set a 2 p.m. alarm just to make sure he found out right away whether Maxey had been named a starter so he could congratulate him.

    Edgecombe woke up Maxey from his pregame nap trying to call him.

    “I’m like, why is he calling me?” Maxey said pregame. “And I answer, and he’s screaming and showing me the TV. And I’m like, ‘OK.’ We chopped it up a little bit.”

    And postgame, the two Sixers guards were having fun after the 113-104 win over the Pacers.

  • Sixers takeaways: More urgency needed, Tyrese Maxey’s rising ceiling, and more from win over the Pacers

    Sixers takeaways: More urgency needed, Tyrese Maxey’s rising ceiling, and more from win over the Pacers

    The 76ers must play with a sense of urgency against bad and/or undermanned teams.

    Tyrese Maxey is a newly minted Eastern Conference NBA All-Star starter. But the Sixers point guard, and coach Nick Nurse, believe he has more to give.

    And the Sixers need more production from their bench.

    These things stood out in Monday’s 113-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Lack of energy

    Maxey and Joel Embiid’s play, especially late in the game, enabled the Sixers (23-18) to avoid an embarrassing loss to the Pacers (10-34).

    Maxey scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder also had four assists and four steals while playing 10 minutes, 35 seconds in the quarter.

    In the quarter, Maxey was able to get to the paint more frequently and finish at the rim.

    “We kind of opened the court up a little bit,” he said. “Me and Joel didn’t play a lot of two-man game. So it’s kind of like just getting him the ball, coming off screens, and doing that.”

    But before Embiid reentered the game with 5:01 remaining, Maxey was paired with Quentin Grimes, Jabari Walker, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Adem Bona.

    “And with that unit, I know I have to be ultra-aggressive for myself, for my teammates as well, getting to the paint, kicking it out, generating threes. That’s what I tried to do. Got a couple of corner threes with that group, and that’s good offense for us.”

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

    For the game, Maxey made 12 of 24 shots to go with eight assists, four rebounds, a career-high eight steals, and one block.

    “I was just trying to be aggressive, you know, make plays for my teammates,” Maxey said of his steals. “I think it gets us going when we get out in the open court [after stealing the ball] and get some easy baskets.”

    Meanwhile, Embiid scored nine of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. The center also finished with nine rebounds and four assists.

    But it was like the Sixers fell into a deep slumber against the Pacers before they took over.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid poured in 30 points in a combeack win Monday over Indiana.

    At the start of the game, they looked like a well-oiled machine.

    Embiid had 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting. Oubre, who started in place of Paul George, had six points on 3-for-3 shooting. And Dominick Barlow had the other two points on 1-for-2 shooting, as the Sixers had an 18-15 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter. They had made 9 of 12 shots at the time.

    They couldn’t shake the Pacers and clung to a 33-30 lead heading into the second quarter. And things only got worse for the Sixers in the second. They shot 26.3% and trailed by as many as 10 points against the NBA’s second-worst team. Much of the defending Eastern Conference champions’ struggles are down to injuries.

    On Monday, they were without Tyrese Haliburton (right Achilles tendon tear), Bennedict Mathurin (sprained right thumb), and Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture).

    The Sixers struggled through 3-for-13 three-point shooting over the first three quarters. They ended up making 5 of 17.

    But struggling against an undermanned squad isn’t uncommon.

    On Jan. 5, they put forth an inexcusable effort against a Denver Nuggets team playing without its entire starting lineup and three key reserves.

    This time, the Sixers woke up from their slumber and escaped with a nine-point victory. But they need to do a better job of putting teams away that have no business competing with them.

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

    Maxey just scratching the surface

    Maxey impacted the game in many ways on Monday. But the belief is that the sixth-year veteran is just scratching the surface.

    “I think I’m most definitely nowhere close to where I could be, as far as basketball-wise,” Maxey said. “I feel like I can keep getting better. And my thing is I just want to be better. You know what I’m saying, for my teammates, for this organization, my family. And I know I have a coach, an organization, and teammates who believe in me. And when you have that, it kind of pushes you to be even better than what you are.”

    Right now, he must do a better job of adjusting when teams trap him. But Maxey is most proud of his leadership and the strides he’s made on defense. He was a good defender growing up. But he’s found that the transition to the NBA has been more challenging.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey had a career-high eight steals in Monday’s win.

    “I feel like I figured it out a little bit on how to be impactful,” he said, “and impact the game on the [defensive] end of the floor.”

    But even though he needs to regain his rhythm, Maxey is in the midst of a career season.

    He is third in the league in scoring (30.2 points per game), second in steals (2.1), and 15th in assists (6.7). He is also fourth in made three-pointers (140), and has scored at least 30 points in 19 of 39 games.

    “We’re trying to give him every opportunity to be aggressive and go do his thing,” Nurse said. “And he’s very talented. And I keep saying there’s still a lot of room for growth, which I think is exciting.”

    Sixers utilize six-game homestand to connect with the community during MLK Day weekend

    More needed from Sixers bench

    The Sixers were outscored 35-14 in bench points, and even that was misleading. They only had eight heading into the fourth quarter.

    Grimes had five points on 1-for-7 shooting. Walker had five while making 2 of 5 shots. He was, by far, the most productive reserve, finishing with six rebounds and four steals. Bona (two points, 1-for-2 shooting) and Trendon Watford (two points, 1-for-4 shooting) were the other bench scorers.

    Justin Edwards and Jared McCain didn’t attempt a shot after playing only the final 47 seconds. But the Sixers must get more production out of their bench if they expect to remain competitive.

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

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

    TORONTO — Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, Joel Embiid had 27 and the 76ers used an 80-point first half to beat the Toronto Raptors 115-102 on Monday night.

    VJ Edgecombe and Paul George each scored 15 points as the Sixers bounced back from Sunday’s overtime loss to Toronto to win for the sixth time in eight games.

    Embiid (left knee and left groin) and George (left knee) were back in the lineup after sitting out Sunday.

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

    Fans chanted “We want Lowry!” in the fourth quarter, then rose for a standing ovation when former Raptors player Kyle Lowry checked in for Maxey with 1 minute, 57 seconds left to play.

    Lowry starred for the Toronto team that won the 2019 NBA championship. He airballed a three-pointer on his first attempt and missed all three shots he took.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (left) scored a game-high 33 points.

    Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points and Brandon Ingram had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Scottie Barnes scored 15 points for Toronto.

    Barnes, who hit the game-winning free throw Sunday, was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday.

    Philadelphia’s 80 first-half points were the most by a Raptors opponent this season. The 76ers made 27 of 37 field goals in the opening half, including 13 of 20 from long range, and shot 13 -for-13 at the free throw line.

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

    Maxey scored 18 points in the first quarter to help Philadelphia build a 45-28 lead after one. He connected on 6 of 7 attempts, including 3 of 4 from distance.

    After shooting 8 for 31 from long range Sunday, the Sixers combined to make 7 of 8 three-pointers in the first. They followed that by making four straight to begin the second.

    Ingram returned after missing two games because of a sore right thumb. RJ Barrett (left thumb) sat for the second straight game.

    Philadelphia’s biggest lead was 33 points, 87-54, after an Edgecombe three with 8:24 remaining in the third.

    The Sixers host the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-19) on Wednesday at Xfinity Mobile Arena (7 p.m., ESPN).

  • 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.”

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    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.

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

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

    Paul George keeps taking up the slack.

    The center rotation between Joel Embiid remains in flux.

    And Kelly Oubre Jr. must regain his shooting rhythm. But in the meantime, his effort has been a huge asset.

    Those things stood out in the 76ers’ 103-91 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night at the Kia Center.

    George continues to shine

    The Sixers (21-15) need someone to take over when Tyrese Maxey and Embiid are on the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. Based on Friday, George is determined to fulfill that role.

    NBA official Bill Kennedy taken off court in wheelchair with injured leg in 76ers-Magic game

    The nine-time All-Star scored eight of the Sixers’ 11 points to put them up 94-82 before Embid and Maxey checked in with 6 minutes, 48 seconds remaining. George made 4 of 7 shots, grabbed four rebounds, blocked two shots, and assisted on Andre Drummond’s layup during the stretch without the two standouts.

    After he went to the bench briefly at the 6:18 mark, Maxey and Embiid continued where he left off. They combined to score seven points before George returned with 3:35 remaining. He added his 10th point of the quarter on a layup with 2:57 left.

    “He was really good in the fourth,” Maxey told the media. “Really good! He played defense all game. Then in the fourth, he made shots.”

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    The 6-foot-9 small forward finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals to go with his two blocks. This is the second consecutive game that George dominated a quarter. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter of Wednesday’s home victory against the Washington Wizards.

    The Sixers need him and rookie VJ Edgecombe to keep dominating quarters, especially when Maxey and Embiid are resting.

    George didn’t shoot the ball well, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. But he played with poise and got to his spots for key buckets, especially in the fourth quarter.

    Maxey finished with a game-high 29 points and three steals. Embiid added 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. Edgecombe had just six points on 3-for-8 shooting. But the shooting guard finished with nine rebounds, a team-high seven assists, and two steals.

    The Sixers will be tough to beat if their four best players continue to display this type of balance.

    Center rotation

    When healthy and available, Embiid will always get the start at center. And that’s understandable, considering he’s the 2023 MVP and a seven-time All-Star. Who backs him up, however, often depends on the matchup.

    Adem Bona usually gets the nod when the Sixers are playing an athletic team that likes to play an uptempo style. Meanwhile, Drummond assumes the role whenever they need rebounding against a towering team.

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    So against Orlando (21-18), Drummond was the first player off the bench, subbing in for Embiid with 5:47 left in the opening quarter. This marked his second consecutive appearance after not playing in the previous two games.

    Drummond quickly made an impact, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring a putback at the 5:12 mark. He played well, finishing with seven points and six rebounds, and was a plus-8 in 16:37. Bona did not play.

    Oubre’s shooting

    Oubre is rusty. And that’s understandable.

    Friday marked his second game back after missing 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament. The small forward failed to score while missing all five of his shots. But what Oubre lacked in shooting, he made up for in other areas. The 6-8, 203-pounder finished with six rebounds and one block.

    He’s shooting 1-for-9, including missing all four of his three-point attempts, in his return.

    But his energy and solid defense have made Oubre an asset off the bench in the last two games. And he should make an even larger impact once he regains his shooting rhythm.

    Before the injury, Oubre averaged 16.8 points on 49.7% shooting — including 34.3% from three-point land.

    The Sixers expect him to regain his shooting form over time.

  • Sixers takeaways: Inexcusable effort, costly turnovers, and more from an overtime loss to the Nuggets

    Sixers takeaways: Inexcusable effort, costly turnovers, and more from an overtime loss to the Nuggets

    The positive momentum the 76ers built vanished.

    They’re still doing a great job of sharing the ball.

    But the Sixers need to do a better job of closing out games.

    And even in a loss, VJ Edgecombe showed why Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman is a fan.

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    Those are the items that stood out in Monday’s 125-124 overtime loss to the depleted Nuggets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    ‘Didn’t have the right mindset’

    The Sixers (19-15) had no business losing this game.

    I’m stating this fully aware that this was this was their first home game following a five-game road trip capped by three impressive victories against the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, and New York Knicks.

    And I realize teams are usually sluggish during their first night back at home.

    But this game should not have been close, based on the substandard roster the Nuggets (24-12) put on the floor.

    Denver was without three-time MVP and seven-time All-NBA selection Nikola Jokić (hyperextended left knee) and standouts Jamal Murray (sprained left ankle) and Aaron Gordon (strained right hamstring) due to injuries. Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas (right calf strain), who is Jokić’s backup, was also sidelined. And that’s not all. Tamar Bates (left foot surgery), Christian Braun (sprained left ankle), Tim Hardaway Jr. (illness management), and Cameron Johnson (right knee bone bruise) also missed the game.

    The Sixers suffered their worst loss of the season after Tyrese Maxey missed a floater with 0.2 seconds left in overtime.

    Nick Nurse was asked if he liked the final shot.

    “It was OK,” Nurse said. “It kind of turned the corner, and kind of wove up off balanced and probably wasn’t as clean a look as he wanted to get. But it was just OK.”

    When asked about the shot, Maxey said, “I tripped over my foot, and I tried to shoot it, and I was falling.”

    The All-NBA caliber point guard also lost the ball before missing a three-pointer on the final possession in regulation.

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    An inability to contain former Penn State standout Jalen Pickett (29 points on 7-for-11 three-point shooting), Peyton Watson (24 points on 7-for-13 shooting), Bruce Brown (19 points on 7-for-13 shooting), and Zeke Nnaji (21 points on 7-for-11 shooting — including 4 of 5 three-pointers) contributed to the loss.

    With those four players leading the way, the Nuggets shot 53.1% from the field and 48.6% on three-pointers.

    “We allowed them to really feel good early, and it just continued the entire game,” Nurse said. “You just look at the numbers, 48.6% from three. We [turned them over more] a little bit [forcing 19 turnovers to 14] and out-rebounded them a little bit [14 to 7]. Got more shots [98 to 81] than they did.

    “So just the shooting percentage numbers are just the story of the game. And we didn’t guard them and keep the ball in front of us long enough.”

    But it shouldn’t have come to this. This was supposed to be a game that kept the Sixers within a game of the fourth-place Toronto Raptors, who are now 1½ games ahead of them.

    Quentin Grimes says the Sixers took the Nuggets lightly.

    “We didn’t have the right mindset,” he said. “This is the NBA. Everybody can play at a high level. We didn’t really match their intensity. ”

    Joel Embiid talks with injured Nuggets center Nikola Jokić after the Sixers lost to the Nuggets in overtime on Monday.

    Ball movement

    Nurse wanted to build upon the solid ball movement the Sixers displayed during the final three games of their road trip.

    “All you are trying to do is continue to do that, extend those periods even longer,” he said before the game. “Just continue to get the rhythm and the passing and the spacing and reading what’s out there as best you can.”

    And the Sixers did.

    One stood out occurred in the first quarter. After driving the lane, Grimes passed the ball back to Jared McCain behind the three-point line. McCain then passed it to Maxey, who buried a wide-open three-pointer to give the Sixers a 26-24 advantage.

    The Sixers had 13 assists on their first 19 made baskets. They finished with 28 assists.

    Edgecombe had nine assists to go with 17 points (all in the second half), eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Meanwhile, Maxey had six assists along with 28 points, six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.

    McCain (four), Paul George (three), Adem Bona (two), Grimes (two), and Joel Embiid (two) also recorded assists. In addition, Embiid finished with game-highs of 32 points and 10 rebounds.

    Late-game woes

    As exciting as the Sixers have been, they still have a tough time closing out games.

    They had a nine-point lead with 10 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in regulation.

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    But the Nuggets responded with a 15-2 run to take a four-point advantage. Then in overtime, the Sixers shot just 2-for-10 and had two costly turnovers.

    This happens too often. The Sixers have just been good enough to overcome those miscues. But it doomed them Monday night.

    Fan of Edgecombe

    Edgecombe was one of the few guys that Adelman got to watch casually last season while the Sixer was playing at Baylor.

    “I got him a few times, and he immediately stood out,” Adelman said. “Just the athleticism, the speed, the competitiveness. And it’s all translated. I watched him against Memphis the other night. Again, it’s more fun to watch this stuff when it’s not film, when you’re not studying them, you’re just watching the game. Just so impressive.”

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (right) had 17 points and nine assists against the Nuggets on Monday.

    On Monday, Edgecombe didn’t have the best shooting night, making 6 of 17 shots overall. However, he made 5 of 11 three-pointers and was clutch down the stretch.

    “Like I said, I think the athleticism, the skill set, all that stuff’s impressive,” Adelman said. “But it’s just more the competitive spirit of that kid. He just plays so hard. And you are looking for that in people nowadays. There’s a lot of people that are talented and get paid to play basketball. There’s guys you can tell love to play. He does.

    “So he’s a problem. It was a great draft pick by Daryl [Morey] on this draft.”