PHILADELPHIA — Just when it looks like Tyrese Maxey has reached his ceiling, he kicks it up another level. In the Philadelphia 76ers' win over the Indiana Pacers — while keeping teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. on his mind after he was struck by a car and hospitalized last night — Maxey delivered a masterful performance.

Maxey scored 50 points, a new career-high, as he and Joel Embiid led the way for a 137-126 win. Along with the 50-burger, which he cooked up on 20-of-32 shooting, Maxey tallied seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks. The Sixers have now won eight straight and both the young guard and veteran big man look like the best players at their respective positions.

Although Embiid wanted to make sure Maxey got to the half-century mark, he was very complimentary of his defense.

“Everybody's looking at the offensive end and what he's been able to add — shot-creating ability, playmaking. But I think defensively, he's just competing,” Embiid said. “Some of his blocks the last couple games, the one that he had on Jrue Holiday, the one tonight, that's all we need from him: just compete. We got his back. But he's been great.”

Embiid has always been one of Maxey's biggest hype men. After the game, he went right to Twitter/X to declare Maxey as “The Franchise.” By the way the reigning MVP talks about him, one would assume Maxey to be the face of the franchise and the team's best player. The Sixers have been and will always belong to Embiid but Maxey is making a heck of a case for co-ownership.

Embiid has called Maxey “The Franchise” before. Last year, Maxey recalled on Danny Green's podcast that Embiid dubbed him as such with a post on social media. The prophetic nickname has never been more appropriate. Embiid joked after the game that Maxey could have had this breakout earlier had he started working out with skills trainer Drew Hanlen (just like he does) before this past offseason. As the saying goes, though: better late than never.

“He just wants to get better. He wants to learn. He's willing to learn. He listens. Extremely humble,” Embiid said of Maxey. “I‘ve always said the hardest-working person I've ever been around — and that's saying something. He doesn’t take plays off. He always finds a way to get better. Obviously, he's doing great, but I think he has an even brighter future. I think he can get to another level. Philadelphia's got a good one. He's gonna be here for a long time. And like I said, he's the franchise.”

Maxey, technically, is only under contract for one more season. He opted to delay the extension he earned to give the Sixers more flexibility this offseason. But with the way he's playing, he is working his way up from near-max to full maximum deal. Philly will reward him handsomely when the time is right.

Embiid said that he hopes Maxey spends his whole career with the Sixers. His relentlessly upbeat attitude radiates within the organization and sets a standard. As his role with the team grows, he starts to shed the image of just the happy-go-lucky kid with lots of potential. He's becoming a key fixture on the team whose positivity is infectious as he tries to lead his team to greatness.

“When you got people in the building always smiling, it's rare. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen him mad. Usually me in the mornings, I don't mess around,” Embiid said. “But with him, you can come in at 7:00 in the morning, see him smiling. I'm like, ‘Dude, you just woke up. Why are you so happy?’ But that's always the same energy. Doesn't change. Good games, bad games, always the same. That smiling, like I said, when you got people around like that, especially when it's someone that high in the organization, it changes everything. It sets the tone for everyone else.”

For Maxey, Embiid's continuous encouragement helps him keep going.

“Every day. He's on me every single day,” Maxey said. “It's literally like big brother, little brother. Like when I come over sometimes, he passes me the ball and I don't shoot and I drive or do anything else, I know that I'm going to get an earful from Joel Embiid. You just gotta appreciate that, honestly. That's the MVP of the league, you know what I mean? For him to have trust in us as a team, him have trust in myself, I just appreciate it and I just go out there and try to be my best for him.”

The way Maxey competes everywhere on the floor is precisely what the Sixers and Embiid want out of him. They continue to ask a lot out of the slender guard who just turned 23 years old. But so far, he looks more than equipped to handle it.