Disaster struck for the Philadelphia 76ers in their first of two back-to-back games in Los Angeles when, after struggling through a very lopsided third quarter, Tyrese Maxey exited the court with an apparent right hamstring injury.
Taking the court for a game that was supposed to be all about Paul George's triumphant return to Los Angeles and his big-time debut at the brand new Intuit Dome, Maxey's injury put a real damper on the proceedings, not to mention effectively squashed any real chance of Nick Nurse's team fielding a comeback in a game against former point guard James Harden and his new-look LA Clippers.
Commanding a 76ers team that is still trying to find its footing without Joel Embiid on the court, what with “The Process” currently suspended for pushing local reporter Marcus Hayes, Maxey was having a bit of a bad game by his own standards, scoring just 12 points on 13 shots while closing out the game with a -16 plus-minus. While he would normally have a fourth quarter to figure things out and field a comeback, as Maxey often does, the All-Star point guard looked uncomfortable walking off the court and was replaced by Jared McCain at the start of the fourth, effectively ending his game on the spot.
Fortunately for the 76ers, they have a day off before they take on the Los Angeles Lakers across town at Crypto.com Arena to rest and relax, which could be just what the doctor ordered for the pride of Kentucky to get back on track. But when you consider Maxey is one of the fastest point guards in the NBA, losing his long speed, elusiveness, or agility could seriously impact his game and, in turn, make Philadelphia's offense even more one-dimensional when they face off against former starting shooting guard JJ Reddick and his surprisingly effective Los Angeles Lakers.
Follow Us
Subscribe
