76ers News: Tyrese Maxey Followed Blueprint of Nuggets Star

On Tuesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the reigning champion Denver Nuggets. While most were zeroing in on the battle between Joel Emiid and Nikola Jokic, another pair of high-profile players were going at it. 

Along with the two MVP centers, this game also featured a battle of two high-powered point guards. Tyrese Maxey and Jamal Murray are both in the midst of All-Star-level seasons. As the two got ready to square off against one another, the Sixers star opened up on how he followed Murray's blueprint. 

Before entering the NBA, both Maxey and Murray played their college ball at Kentucky. Maxey even admitted that John Calipari showed him clips of Murray when he was getting recruited. 

"When coach Cal came to my house to recruit me, he showed me Jamal Murray's film," Maxey said. "He said this guy is really really good and he's going to make a lot of money in the NBA, and he said you have the ability to do so. I feel like you have some similarities." 

Looking at their careers, Maxey has followed a similar kind of path as Murray. Both had to prove themselves early but quickly blossomed into star-level talents. 

Murray and Maxey did everything they could to lead their respective teams on Tuesday night, but it was the Sixers who would walk away victorious. The Nuggets guard finished with a double-double, notching 17 points and 10 assists. Maxey did a little bit of everything, finishing with 25 points, five rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. 

These guards don't have to wait long before they get another crack at each other. The Sixers and Nuggets are slated to face off again next weekend in Denver. This will be the second and final meeting between these squads in the regular season.