Sixers takeaways: Maxey outduels LeBron, Gordon on the rise

Tyrese Maxey is one of the league’s hottest players. After a slow start, Eric Gordon has blossomed into a solid addition for the 76ers. And the squad showed on Tuesday that it can be a solid foul-shooting team. Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Maxey’s hot streak

A lot of people will talk about Maxey outshining four-time NBA MVP LeBron James in Tuesday’s game. And with just cause, considering that he scored 43 points to James' 31.

But this was Maxey’s 11th consecutive game with 28 or more points. He averaged 30.5 points, 7.5 assists and 1.6 steals in his previous 10 games. He shot 45.8% in those games.

Gordon’s star rising

It turns out Gordon was right. He said his shooting would improve with increased minutes. And that’s been the case since returning from being sidelined following dental surgery. 

Gordon, who was acquired this summer in free agency, averaged 9.1 points while shooting 49.2% on three-pointers in 14 games going into Tuesday. He scored 14 points and made 3-of-6 three-pointers on Tuesday. This comes after Gordon averaged 5.0 points while shooting 27.5% on threes in his 19 games before the surgery.

Solid foul shooting

There was a time when the Sixers struggled mightily from the foul line. But against the Lakers, they made 21-of-25 free throws. Maxey made all nine of his attempts, and Kelly Oubre Jr. went 4-for-4.