“Tyrese Maxey is My New Favorite NBA Player”: Skip Bayless Prefers Joel Embiid & James Harden’s 22 y/o Teammate Over Anybody in the League

Joel Embiid did not have a prolific scoring game yet again, as most Philadelphia fans and basketball experts would have been hoping after Games 1 and 2. Still, the Sixers had enough firepower in Tyrese Maxey to win Game 3 in Brooklyn while the Nets looked determined to get one Thursday night.

Those who missed out on the action would think, if not Embiid, James Harden must have a tremendous game. However, he just had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists before getting a bizarre ejection just near the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Sixers were 4 points behind the Nets while entering the 4th and Embiid was shooting around 40% from the field by then and nothing beyond the perimeter.

But, one guy kept them in the game and then took over completely when he got the chance. And he is now, Skip Bayless’ new favorite player in the NBA.

Skip Bayless announces Tyrese Maxey to be his favorite player in the NBA

If you are a 22-year-old guard playing for a team that has an MVP candidate and a 3x scoring champ (plus 2x assist leader) point guard, it’s difficult to find yourself big games.

Not for Tyrese Maxey. And that is the reason FS1’s 71-year-old analyst has him as his favorite NBA player already. “Tyrese Maxey has become my new favorite NBA player,” Bayless Tweeted after Sixers’ 102-97 away win.

Tyrese Maxey has become my new favorite NBA player.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 21, 2023

The Maxey take over in Game 3

He did not have an Embiid-like monster-40-point game, nor he had Harden-like 15-20 assist game but in a 25-point game-high performance, Tyrese Maxey did everything the 76ers needed to get them through this, low-scoring and wildly officiated game.

He has been the most unstoppable player on the breakaway this season which he demonstrated well in this game. He was also off-the-charts efficient with 3s while Embiid and others in the team struggled to their shots off.

Maxey also hit a clutch, step-back, contested 3-point shot after a timeout with scores tied at 96 each and 46 seconds remaining on the game clock.

That proved crucial as Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie missed a free throw after that and PJ Tucker made both of his to seal the deal for Philly in game 3.

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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