Maxey fills a virus void, earns points with Doc
PHILADELPHIA » With only seven players available Saturday, Doc Rivers had doubts about whether the Sixers should even play against the visiting Denver Nuggets.
A 115-103 loss aside, Tyrese Maxey gave him at least 39 reasons why it was a worthwhile endeavor.
Forced into the starting lineup as the Sixers dealt with extensive COVID-19 issues among other assorted injuries, the rookie guard scored 39 points … and had his final drive, and attempt at 40, lip out.
“From the first quarter through the fourth quarter, you just saw the light bulb go on for some of these guys,” Rivers said. “I try to take something from every game. That’s what I took out of this one.”
Through the Sixers’ 7-3 start, Maxey had shown flashes of excellence. With few alternative scorers Saturday, he had 43 minutes and 45 seconds to continue to impress. He did.
“Well, I didn’t think he could score 39 points in an NBA game,” Rivers said. “I’ll say that. Other than that, and I said it earlier, he is going to be a terrific player. And it’s going to keep getting better.”
Despite lugging a reputation into the NBA that he was not a polished shooter, Maxey shot 18-for-33, including 3-for-8 from distance. Playing primarily at the point, he added six assists and two steals while making just two turnovers.
“I was really just trying to do whatever it took to win,” Maxey said. “I knew I was going to have to do a lot more than usual. But that was my main goal. We stayed competitive for a very long time, but we just couldn’t pull it out at the end. It was fun.”
With the game effectively lost yet a possession still to unfold, Maxey had planned to just dribble the clock out. Rivers, though, showed why he has a sturdy reputation as a players’ coach, signaling to his rookie to take one more shot at his
first 40-plus-point game.
“That’s probably why I missed it, probably,” Maxey said, smiling. “But I really appreciate him for that.”
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With Seth Curry testing positive Thursday for the virus, and with resulting contact testing required, the Sixers were without pillars Tobias Harris and Shake Milton in addition to Curry. Vincent Poirier also was out due to health protocols. Terrance Ferguson was out for personal reasons.
Joel Embiid was declared unavailable with back soreness. Ben Simmons was scratched with a stiff knee. Furkan Korkmaz has been out with a left abductor strain.
That left the Sixers with a starting lineup of Maxey, Dakota Mathias, Danny Green, Isaiah Joe and Dwight Howard. Paul Reed and Tony Bradley were also available. Mike Scott was available to play, though Rivers rested him as he continues to recover from a knee contusion.
Mathias (41:03), Joe (44:51) and Maxey all played more than 40 minutes … a reality that has Rivers concerned should testing protocols.
“The concern is not COVID right now,” the coach said. “The concern is injuries because guys are playing so many minutes. We don’t have enough guys. The league should be very careful about that, because you don’t want that to happen.
“Now, we play again in two days. Then we play again the next night. So that’s my concern. We have to be very careful over how we handle it over the next three weeks.”
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After Curry’s positive test in Brooklyn, the Sixers were quarantined overnight in New York.
“It was definitely strange,” said Joe, who bagged 13 points Saturday. “We spent all of yesterday in a hotel. We were definitely ready to see what was going to happen. But we were ready to get out of there. We had a game to prepare for today.
“But we got over that, got home and were rested.”
With the Sixers quarantined, they were not able to receive their usual day-after physical treatments. That likely was a contributing factor to Embiid and Simmons resting.
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NOTES » The loss was the Sixers’ first in the Wells Fargo Center since Dec. 20, 2019, a 117-98 loss to Dallas. … Howard produced 11 rebounds, giving him 13,759 for his career. That broke a tie with Hakeem Olajuwon (13,748) for 14th place on the all-time NBA list. Wes Unseld (13,769) ranks 13th. … Due to health protocols, the Nuggets were without Michael Porter Jr. … Mathias, who scored 12 points, was not shocked by Maxey’s outburst. “He’s one of the hardest workers in the gym, so it wasn’t really surprising to me.” … The Sixers will play in Atlanta Monday night at 7:30, before hosting the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat Tuesday and Thursday.