The Philadelphia 76ers survived the Golden State Warriors in a low-scoring affair, 99-98, at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday behind the heroics of the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Edgecombe scored the game-winning basket after tipping in the missed shot of Maxey with only 0.9 ticks left. Maxey, meanwhile, made the game-saving block after denying De'Anthony Melton's last-gasp attempt as time expired.
It was a huge effort on the part of Maxey. It was a memorable one as well, as he and Melton are close friends. When asked about the clutch stop, Maxey refused to gloat. Instead, he shared a heartwarming remark about Melton.
“I'm just happy to see him out there. He was at our house for two to three hours yesterday, just chopping it up, just talking about life. I'm happy to see him out there smiling,” said Maxey in the video posted by Sixers Wire's Ky Carlin.
The All-Star guard, however, also joked: “I told him I'm giving him one jumpshot.”
#Sixers star Tyrese Maxey on the big block on close friend De’Anthony Melton to seal it: pic.twitter.com/1vEPgHbt18
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) December 5, 2025
Maxey and Melton developed their tight bond during their time together on the 76ers from 2022 to 2024. Melton took Maxey under his wing and helped him become a more mature player.
The 27-year-old Melton made his season debut after recovering from his ACL injury, which also limited him to just six games last season. He tallied 14 points, three assists, and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench.
The 25-year-old Maxey, meanwhile, had a game-high 35 points, three rebounds, and two steals.
The 76ers improved to 12-9, while the Warriors, who lost Draymond Green to a foot injury in the second quarter, fell to 11-12.
