Tyrese Maxey’s latest playoff outburst made an improbable Game 2 victory possible: ‘He just wanted them’
Maxey scored 12 of his 29 points in the game's final six minutes, propelling the Sixers to a 111-97 victory to send what appeared to be an overmatched series back to Philly tied at 1.
BOSTON — Tyrese Maxey looked over to Nick Nurse for a play call about midway through the fourth quarter Tuesday, then gave an acknowledgment to his coach: “Hey, I got it.”
The Celtics had just cut the 76ers’ lead in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series to two points. Then Maxey drained consecutive three-pointers from the top of the key and walked, steely-faced, to the corner while teammates enthusiastically flooded the court for the timeout with 5 minutes, 6 seconds to go.
“He just wanted them,” Nurse said. “I think you probably all could see that.”
» READ MORE: VJ Edgecombe has one for the history books and the Sixers somehow stymie Boston in Game 2
Throughout that sequence, Maxey’s mind was on the fact that rookie teammate VJ Edgecombe had already “done his job” with another beyond-his-years 30-point performance inside this building. He also had fulfilled his goal to get Paul George going at the beginning of the fourth quarter, forcing Boston’s defense to turn some attention to the veteran wing. That freed up Maxey to finish the job by scoring 12 of his 29 points during that final stretch, propelling the Sixers to a 111-97 victory to send what appeared to be a lopsided series back to Philly tied at a game apiece.
“I said, ‘All right, this is my time to close the game out,’” Maxey said. “… I just had to put the game away.”
Maxey entered Tuesday with a resumé already peppered with signature playoff moments, like a 38-point opener to the 2022 playoffs, when he was the exciting young complement to stars Joel Embiid and James Harden. Or two years ago, when he strutted down the Madison Square Garden floor after his late flurry to force overtime and finished with a 46-point masterpiece.
Celtics lead 3-1
Game 1: Celtics 123, Sixers 91 | Murphy: Early offseason?
Game 2: Sixers 111, Celtics 97 | Murphy: Edgecombe steps up
Game 3: Celtics 108, Sixers 100 | Murphy: Reality of this series
Game 4: Celtics 128, Sixers 96 | Murphy: Maxey should be focus
Game 5: Sixers at Celtics, 7 p.m. Tuesday, ESPN
*Game 6: Celtics at Sixers, TBD Thursday
*Game 7: Sixers at Celtics, TBD Saturday
* If necessary
Still, this is the 25-year-old Maxey’s first time in the teeth of a full series as the bona fide top offensive option, with Embiid still sidelined while recovering from an appendectomy.
Maxey has gained experience in such a role while Embiid and George have battled injuries during the last two regular seasons, leading to Maxey becoming an All-NBA contender and the league’s fifth-leading scorer during the regular season. Last month, he came back early from an injured little finger on his shooting hand — which he has acknowledged feels “funny” while wearing a splint — because he knows this team requires his production and leadership to compete in the playoffs.
He was excellent in last week’s play-in tournament win over the Orlando Magic, totaling 31 points and six assists. Following Sunday’s Game 1 shellacking by Boston, Maxey assessed his 21-point performance as “decent” in terms of getting into the paint and finding teammates, but he said he needed to get himself more good three-point looks.
A further review of the film reinforced how much the Celtics were collapsing defensively on those drives and that he may need to reach double-digit assists in every game this series. Nurse added that Boston’s defenders did a “really excellent” job helping, and that if Maxey “ever got an advantage, they were really locked into rotations and cutting down things on him or making him take super-contested shots.”
Still, Nurse insisted on Maxey remaining a relentless shot-taker. The coach smiled during Tuesday’s pregame news conference when asked about the broader lessons Maxey can take from this series, saying, “I’m going to give you the same answer I’ve given about 17 times over the last two years.
“He’s just got to find them, wherever they are,” Nurse said of those shot attempts. “If it’s transition. If it’s deeper [beyond the three-point arc]. If it’s more probing [into the heart of the defense]. If it’s fadeaways. If it’s turnarounds. If it’s post-ups. …
» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe take turns dominating and more from Sixers’ Game 2 win to even series with Celtics
“Whatever it is, I just want him to continue to raise that level of shot attempts and aggressiveness.”
Maxey did that in the first quarter, going 4 of 10 from the floor for 10 points. Though the second quarter primarily belonged to Edgecombe, who scored 16 points in that frame, Maxey answered a Jayson Tatum dunk with a crowd-silencing three-pointer and dished out five of his nine assists during that period.
During every timeout, former All-Star and NBA champion Kyle Lowry talked Maxey through what he was reading on the court. Reserve forward Trendon Watford, one of Maxey’s closest friends, also was in his ear. So were Edgecombe and George, telling Maxey to “be me.”
So he sank those two fourth-quarter three-pointers, unlocked by improved screens at the top from Andre Drummond. Maxey then dished a pass in the corner for a Kelly Oubre Jr. three to put the Sixers up, 102-89, with 4:07 to play.
Then, Maxey converted a crafty up-and-under finish through contact, screaming “and-one!” as he strode past the Celtics’ bench and stared at coach Joe Mazzulla. And when Maxey worked Boston reserve Max Shulga into a nasty step-back three-pointer with 1:09 to go, he turned toward his teammates and flexed again.
In the postgame locker room, Maxey joked that he could not wear a sweatsuit to his news conference, even if it was his preferred attire for the flight back to Philly. He called over Jameer Nelson, once a successful playoff point guard who now is the Sixers’ assistant general manager.
Maxey had a confession: He needed some help with his tie and dress shirt sleeve buttons, two components of his denim-heavy outfit.
That perhaps was the only hiccup down the stretch of Maxey’s latest playoff outburst, which sends the series back to Philly tied.
“I think you know when someone’s in that zone,” Edgecombe said of Maxey. “… When you see someone coming back for the ball and they just made a shot or two, let them rock out.”
