The Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey to throw out the first pitch before Saturday’s Phillies-Braves game

Tyrese Maxey will showcase his pitching skills at Citizens Bank Park.

The 76ers rookie guard will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. game between the Phillies and Atlanta Braves.

Maxey has been a Sixers fan favorite since the team acquired him with the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA draft on Nov. 18. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.7 rebounds this season in 61 appearances, with eight starts.

He displayed a knack for being built for big moments.

Maxey first displayed that on the NBA level when he scored a career-high 39 points in a 12-point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 9. Back then, he was thrust into the starting lineup because the Sixers had just seven able bodies because of injuries and COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Maxey showed it again by scoring 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting in a 14-point victory over the Detroit Pistons on May 8. He displayed a lot of poise while getting the start one night after not playing at all against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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And Maxey had a big hand in the Sixers’ forcing Game 7 in their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. He provided a spark off the bench, scoring a playoff career-high 16 points with seven rebounds and no turnovers in 29 minutes of court time in the 104-99 victory. He was a game-best plus-12. The rookie was actually the saving grace for the Sixers on a night when Ben Simmons was not effective.