After watching the Philadelphia 76ers fall apart in a major way after a series of brutal injuries threw their 2024-25 NBA season off the rails, Tyrese Maxey openly declared that he would up his game to set an example for his teammates, new and old, of what it takes to win.

On paper, that's a solid enough strategy, but actually getting it done is a different question entirely, as Maxey put up All-Star numbers on a 76ers team that won fewer games than his points-per-game average last season.

Fortunately, if Maxey keeps playing like his efforts against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, the 76ers will not only return to the playoffs but could finish out the season in the MVP conversation, where he's rapidly becoming one of the dark horses in this season's race.

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Facing off against his former point guard, James Harden, Maxey and the 76ers looked underwhelming early on, trailing the Clippers in each of their first two quarters to go down 56-46 at the half. But Maxey took it upon himself to keep the 76ers at .500 in their fourth-straight game without Joel Embiid, scoring a team-leading 27 points in the second half to bring his total to 39 on the game to near-singlehandedly lead his team to a 110-108 victory.

MVP chants rang out through the Xfinity Mobile Arena, the vibes among Nick Nurse's squad were immaculate, and the 76ers suddenly find themselves sitting at 8-5, including five wins in seven tries at home. If that trend persists and Maxey continues to flirt with scoring a point a minute like “The Process” before him, he, too, may be able to add an MVP to his resume in the not-too-distant future.