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Tyrese Maxey got his swagger back. The Philadelphia 76ers star provided his first stand-out performance of the 2024-25 season in an overtime win over the Indiana Pacers, scoring 45 points, 38 of them in the second half in overtime.
After two rough games to start the season with Joel Embiid and Paul George on the mend, Maxey played poorly in the first half. He couldn’t get anything going on offense and started out the third quarter by bricking some more shots. Then, he flipped the switch and carried the Sixers to a win, their first of the campaign.
Maxey credited Ricky Council IV with providing the spark that helped Maxey turn his performance around, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“This guy right here asked me if I was going to join the party today, and I joined it,” Maxey said as he sat next to Council, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He stayed on me. So this is what having teammates is for, man. It’s bigger than basketball. It’s like [Council] is one of my brothers now, a good friend of mine. So shoutout to Ricky for that.”
Maxey also credited player development coach Reggie Redding for telling him not to overthink things and to just play his game.
Tyrese Maxey praises Ricky Council IV after 76ers' win vs. Pacers
Council and Maxey have a blossoming friendship as the former finds his way in the NBA and the latter rises to stardom. Maxey has taken the second-year forward under his wing, each of them pushing the other to be even better. The results paid tangible dividends in Philly's last game, saving them from their second 0-3 start in three years.
Right now, Maxey is dealing with a ton of pressure amid the absences of Joel Embiid and Paul George. The workload on his plate has been gargantuan and his second-half performance against Indiana proved that he's capable of handling it. Still, the 76ers hope that Embiid and George can play soon, alleviating Maxey's burden and giving them a chance to generate on-court chemistry together.
