NEW YORK — Hiding behind the big smiles and gregarious nature of Tyrese Maxey is a level of fierce competitiveness rarely seen among athletes, even the best in the world. The Philadelphia 76ers have never been more thankful to be the recipients of Maxey's talent and determination in Game 5 against the New York Knicks when Maxey's takeover senses led to a legendary playoff moment.
When Maxey summoned his aggressiveness to score seven points in the final minute of regulation of the Sixers' 1121-106 overtime win over the Knicks, he saved their season from an embarrassing, abrupt end. He also helped atone for three missed free throws — atypical for an 87-percent free-throw shooter — that made him extra motivated to come through for his teammates. His intense emotions poured out onto the floor at Madison Square Garden, relinquishing the stress of seeing his season end without one more shot to keep it going.
“I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn't like, honestly,” Maxey said. “But, listen, that's a lot of emotion. I'm a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing.”
Maxey played 51 minutes in Game 5, ending with 46 points, nine assists, and five rebounds on 17-of-30 shooting as the Sixers began their comeback efforts from a 3-1 deficit. In the fourth quarter, he scored 17 points, seven of them coming in a span of roughly 16 seconds, which included a 35-foot swish to tie the game with nine seconds left. He gave shoutouts to two key members of the 76ers organization for being able to come up clutch.
First, he noted that assistant coach Rico Hines has “been on me all year by shooting the deep ones and I've been working on it all year.” All the reps paid off at that moment in front of a packed Garden crowd.
Second, he pointed to Buddy Hield. The 76ers guard has fallen out of the rotation in this series but provided a critical supportive voice in the fourth quarter.
“I was on the bench and I was really upset,” Maxey said. “I was really upset with myself. I missed three free throws, turned the ball over. And Buddy Hield just kind of grabbed me and said, ‘Listen, dude, you know what you can do. Go out there and make up for it.’ And I really do appreciate Buddy for that, man.”
Tyrese Maxey saves 76ers season in Game 5 vs. Knicks
Tyrese Maxey's role with the Sixers has changed over and over throughout his four-year career. He has never had as much responsibility as he does right now. Especially with Joel Embiid dealing with numerous injuries, Maxey has to be a consistent source of offense for the whole team. Against a Knicks team with a mastery of defense engrained in each player, the difficulty is pumped up even further.
In Game 4, Maxey came up small, shooting a paltry 2-8 from the field in the fourth quarter as the Knicks won in Philadelphia and went up 3-1. Maxey didn’t want to make the same mistake twice of falling out of the game.
“I just remember in the last four quarter, I wasn't in rhythm,” Maxey said. “I didn't play well. I wasn't aggressive. I refused to let that happen this time.”
The ability to take over in crunch time has been a long work in progress for Maxey, a ceaseless passion to be there for the team on the court in the biggest moments. He and De'Anthony Melton had a recent conversation about their first DNPs, pointing to that moment as the spark that lit a competitive fire that burns to this day.
“I went home and shed some tears,” Maxey recalled, “but I just remember like the next day I was working so hard to never have that feeling again. And, man, it's a good moment to see your work come to light.”
Proper preparation prevents poor performance. That’s a mantra Maxey credits to his dad and has followed religiously throughout his NBA career. Continually making improvements is how Maxey became an All-Star and won the Most Improved Player Award. It's how Maxey attacks each game, taking on whatever new challenges come his way.
Tobias Harris recalled when Maxey first started flashing potential as an impactful playoff contributor. As a rookie, he stepped up in the second round against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021. Just as he did for this year’s Sixers, he played really well in an elimination game and pushed the series to another game. That year, he stepped up in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in Philly that the Sixers would end up losing.
But that performance was a mere 16-point outing. Maxey's 46-point explosion was, in the words of Harris, a “big-time game for a big-time player” that exemplifies just how far Maxey has developed in such a short amount of time.
“Obviously with more opportunity and the basketball being in his hands a little more now, he's totally just taking that to another level,” Harris said. “Tonight, that fourth quarter, the last minute, what he was able to do was spectacular. He carried us right then and there. Even in overtime, we were just expecting him to make every play out there for us as a group.”
Embiid wasn’t bad in Game 5 but he also wasn’t his usual self, scoring just 19 points on 7-19 shooting and making up for it on defense and on the glass. Maxey stepped up to get the Sixers over the finish line. Four years ago, Maxey was a rookie and Embiid leaped into MVP conversations. Embiid, when health permits him, is still there. But now one of basketball's best Batmans has the perfect Robin by his side, one who can take over down the stretch of a playoff game.
“Well, it went in our favor thanks to Tyrese Maxey,” Embiid said. “He was unbelievable hitting big shots after big shots, especially with everything that's going on. So, lots of credit to him.”
Rather than relish in his heroics, Maxey said that he's looking to “flush the game” and prepare for Game 6 on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center. When asked what it felt like to win Game 5, he bluntly said it felt “mandatory.” Everything circles back to the task at hand for Maxey, a massive sign that the big moments don’t scare him. It’s what he wants because he knows that’s where he can win games for his team.
“Our season's back on the line come Thursday,” Tyrese Maxey said. The 76ers star has already stuffed his red cape and “S” across his chest back into his everyday clothes. He's ready to get back to work once the next game day arrives. But he's also ready to become the hero if his team needs saving again.
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