The Philadelphia 76ers fell just short against the shorthanded Miami Heat on Wednesday night, but there were still some positives to take away from the nail-biting loss. One of the biggest takeaways for the Sixers was the play of Tyrese Maxey, who came up big for the second straight game.

Maxey's scoring took a slight dip as the team has gotten readjusted to being back to full strength, but the 21-year-old looks to be finding his groove again. He finished Wednesday's matchup with a team-high 27 points on an impressive 11-for-15 shooting from the floor.

The Sixers' “big three” carried most of the scoring weight against Miami, with Maxey sparking a run in the second half to give the team life after the Heat blew the game wide open. At one point, they led by as much as 23.

In a last-ditch effort to salvage the matchup, Maxey put Philly's offense on his back. He played the entire third quarter and carved up Miami's defense on multiple possessions to get the Sixers back in striking distance. Between the scoring barrage and a roaring crowd, the tides of the game shifted back to the home team. Unfortunately, this valiant effort was all for naught, as the Heat still managed to steal a victory.

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After the game, Maxey got praised by players and coaches for his offensive output. Tobias Harris was quick to applaud the second-year guard after a stellar performance.

“Tyrese [Maxey] was great tonight. Getting downhill, making shots, making plays, fueled off the energy in the arena. You love to see him get to the hole and create shots. Tonight you saw pretty much a full package of what he can do with his speed,” said Harris.

Overall, the experiment of Maxey as the full-time point guard has gone well for the Sixers. He has shown growth, but there are still times that show he is still a work in progress. The key area he has struggled with is finding balance at the point guard position.

Although he is called on to be a floor general, the Sixers still want him to look to score. His ability to score in bunches is what makes him such a fascinating young player. That being said, sometimes Maxey defers to the Sixers' stars almost too much.

This is really only an issue when Joel Embiid is in the lineup. Maxey might feel that taking a shot for himself is taking one away from the All-Star center.

Wednesday was arguably the best Maxey had looked in terms of picking his spots. He knew when to take opportunities for himself, and when to facilitate to others. Finding the proper balance of scorer and facilitator is going to be crucial for Maxey, and he looks to be taking a step in the right direction.