Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey tossed a beautiful alley-oop pass to center Dwight Howard, who promptly threw it down for a vicious slam against the Brooklyn Nets.
Though Dwight may no longer wear a Superman cap, he still has the hops to get up high. Watch Howard do his thing:
Another look at the Tyrese Maxey to Dwight Howard alley-oop on TNT. pic.twitter.com/yyjZ11Keeo
— NBA (@NBA) January 8, 2021
Operating near the sideline against Bruce Brown of the Nets, the Sixers rookie got the defender on his back foot for just a moment before breaking towards the baseline. With Brooklyn in an emergency rotation from the weak side under the basket, hoping to prevent a layup from the rookie guard, Maxey slammed on the brakes in front of a rotating DeAndre Jordan and unleashed a floater to the waiting Howard.
Just like he's done over the past 14 years, Dwight took care of the rest.
While neither player operates in a starring role for the Sixers, the duo's continued success has been one of the key factors driving Philly's early-season victories. Drafted with the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey had entered the league with a reputation as an outside sharpshooter but has surprised many with his above-average passing. Meanwhile, Howard has continued to be a solid defensive replacement in the interior, a role many were skeptical he would thrive in.
With the two's contributions, the Sixers have quickly become one of the deepest teams in the league and have raced out to an NBA-best 7-1 record. For a team looking to win its first championship since 1982, they'll likely take all the help they can get.
The Nets lead the Sixers in the second half.
Follow Us
Subscribe