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.
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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.
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.
