With the Philadelphia 76ers' season hanging in the balance on Friday night, it wasn't Joel Embiid or the struggling Ben Simmons who stepped up and willed their team to victory. Instead, Seth Curry and Tyrese Maxey were the unlikely heroes in a massive win to force Game 7 on Sunday. It was a miraculous performance from the Sixers backcourt duo, combining for 40 of Philly's points.

Despite Embiid's 24 points, he couldn't really get it going offensively and also got into early foul trouble. Simmons was once again non-existent, tallying just six points. Curry and Maxey prevented the Sixers from falling into a hole early in the first period, combining for 14 points.

Curry was already coming off a ridiculous Game 5 where he erupted for 36. Although Philadelphia ended up blowing a 26-point lead, he was one of the lone bright spots. The former Duke standout didn't fail to step up once again on Friday. Curry had another 24 points and was the leading catalyst for the Sixers, going 6 for 9 from downtown. The 30-year-old came out firing in the third quarter, scoring or assisting on all of Philly's first 14 points after halftime.

To be honest, Curry has been absolutely lights out from deep in this series, shooting well over 50%. He's been about one of the only players on the 76ers who has been able to consistently find good looks from beyond the arc, which has definitely played a key part in his team still being in the playoffs.

As for Maxey, his emergence in Game 6 was even more surprising. The rookie out of the University of Kentucky played just one minute in Game 5. So what, he said. Maxey rose to the occasion and posted 16 points off the bench, including seven rebounds. He was the primary ball-handler in the second half with Simmons on the bench due to the Hack-A-Ben strategy. The first-year guard added a spark offensively, but it was his defense that really made the difference. Despite Trae Young still dropping 34, Maxey made life very difficult on the Hawks star on numerous possessions and forced him to take the tough shots. The effort that Maxey brought to the table was second to none in arguably the most crucial game of the Sixers' entire season.

There's no doubting that Embiid, Simmons, and Tobias Harris have to be a lot better in the decisive Game 7. But after the second unit essentially collapsed earlier in the week, it was promising to see two role players basically carry the Sixers to a victory. It shows that Philly does have more depth than people give them credit for.

While Simmons has been good defensively, the scoring has simply just not been there. With how Maxey played on Friday, that could even mean Doc Rivers gives the rookie guard more of an opportunity on Sunday after performing at a high level.

The effort Seth Curry and Tyrese Maxey brought to the table in Game 6 were the difference-makers. The Sixers are out of the playoffs if these two don't show out. It'll be interesting to see if the two can replicate their tremendous outings on Sunday as the Sixers seek to book their ticket in the conference finals on home court.