On Sunday afternoon, the Philadelphia 76ers took on the New York Knicks as they looked to tie up their playoff series following their win on Thursday night.
In the early stages of the game, it looked as if things would go the way of the Sixers, as Joel Embiid came out in the first quarter dominating, dropping ten points on 50 percent shooting while coming up with six rebounds.
While the reigning MVP would continue to storm through, the same could be said for recently crowned Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, who put up 14 points in the first two quarters while also recording three shots from beyond the arch.
Yet, the second half would tell a different story for Maxey, as the 23-year-old would start to slow down, only managing to add an additional ten points to his scoring tally while becoming a lot less efficient from the field.
The Sixers’ guard would shoot a lackluster 30 percent in the final two quarters, while failing to record a make from downtown, which only added to his team’s offensive woes down the stretch.
Following the game, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse shared his thoughts on Maxey’s performance, expressing that it wasn’t all negative, rather some of the shots just didn't go his way.
“I thought he had some great looks, I mean, obviously got nine threes up,” explained Nurse, “He didn't quite get to the rim as much as he has been. He did a bit but had a couple roll off, but that's okay.”
The Sixers’ head coach took note of Maxey’s efforts against the Knicks, noting that he’ll convert on those same missed attempts at another point in the series.
“He was fighting, playing, and he's made every one of those this whole series, and he'll make them again,” said Nurse.
Maxey’s next chance to redeem his second-half woes will come on Tuesday night as Philadelphia will keep their postseason dreams alive.
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