Rivers plays right hunch, gives Maxey chance to shine

PHILADELPHIA » With not one but two starting guards unavailable Saturday night, Doc Rivers had options. His gut told him one of those spots should go to Tyrese Maxey. His gut was right. As he’s done with almost every opportunity in his rookie season, Maxey made another one work in a 118-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons, shooting 7-for-11 for 22 points, including a highlight, one-handed dunk, in 35 minutes.

That helped the Sixers to an eighth consecutive victory … and kept Maxey in the mix for what could be a rare, 11-man postseason rotation.

“We will not blink at playing 11 guys if we need to,” Rivers said. “I think we’re that deep. I think we’re that talented. Depth will come to the fore at some point, and it’s a good thing to have.”

Ben Simmons (back) and the recently hot Seth Curry (hip) had the night off, so Rivers supplemented Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid and Danny Green with Matisse Thybulle and Maxey.

“We just played a hunch,” Rivers said. “Honestly, with guys out, my thought was that we were playing him all along. We didn’t play him (Friday against New Orleans), and I thought the young guy would have energy. We needed energy in this game and I thought he was terrific.”

With the Sixers in the second of a back-to-back, that energy made a difference.

“I call him Mad Max,” Dwight Howard said. “He gets all over the court and causes havoc.”

Maxey will take whatever opportunities arise.

“I just try to make my game one percent better every day,” he said. “My role on this team is to always stay ready no matter the circumstance, to always step up and not be a letdown, and to help the team win.”

••• It’s been six weeks since George Hill arrived in a trade-deadline trade, but he is still trying to become completely comfortable in his complicated new role.

“I’m still getting familiar with it,” the veteran guard said Friday. “It was only my fifth or sixth game. I am still getting in shape, things like that, trying to find my rhythm and define my role here.”

After requiring a lengthy recovery time from a January surgery, Hill played his 12th game as a Sixer Saturday, providing five points in 23 minutes. He plays at the point a bit, on the perimeter, mostly with the second unit but sometimes with the first.

“He’s terrific defensively,” Rivers said. “He can make shots. He can be a facilitator on the floor with Shake (Milton). Shake is not a point guard and neither is George. They’re just really good guards.”

Hill is likely to find some fourthquarter time with the starters in the playoffs.

“It’s great to have the luxury to put George on the floor at the end of a game,” Rivers said. “He’sso smart and he adds another defensive player to the floor, which is good for us.”

Hill, 34, is with his eighth NBA franchise, and the Sixers are confident that he will be comfortable in his role by the postseason.

“It’s been a little up and down, but it’s something I have been used to my whole career, just coming in, finding a way and figuring it out,” Hill said. “It’s taking a little longer than expected, but I’ll just keep putting one foot ahead of the other.”

• • • Continuing a late MVP push, Embiid played an eighth consecutive game and scored 29 points in 22 minutes.

“We just played five games in seven days,” Embiid said. “I just have to take it day by day. I have to keep going to the gym. The big thing for me is just getting stronger, lifting weights and just getting ready for the long, postseason war.”

••• Tobias Harris, who scored 18 points Saturday, missed three midApril game with a sore knee. Since his return, he has been consistent, if not spectacular.

“He’s fine,” Rivers said. “He came off that injury and I still think he’s finding his rhythm more than anything. But he is so clutch late in games for us, it just tells you that it’s there and it’s coming.”

• • • Howard’s 14 rebounds gave him 14,250 for his career, lifting him past Walt Bellamy (14,241) for 11th place on the all-time NBA list. Nate Thurmond (14,464) is at No. 10.

“It’s just a blessing to play this game for so long,” Howard said. “I don’t think people know how hard it is to get rebounds, and to move up on the list with some of these greats. Wilt Chamberlain is at the top. He is my favorite player. And I would just love to finish my career as close as I can to him as far as rebounds.”

• • • NOTES » Furkan Korkmaz missed a third consecutive game with an ankle injury. … The Sixers ran a winning streak to eight.