> © SUSA / IconsportAt the end of their efforts, the Sixers sink the Bucks a little deeper (123-114), thanks to 54 points from a Tyrese Maxey on cloud nine.
At the end of their efforts, the Philadelphia 76ers sink the Milwaukee Bucks a little deeper (123-114), thanks to 54 points from a Tyrese Maxey on cloud nine.
The match opened with a Paul George festival: 11 points in a row, like in his finest hours, to propel the Sixers into the lead from the first minutes. Tyrese Maxey then took over and strung together baskets, bringing the gap beyond double figures. Meanwhile, the Bucks were struggling in attack, racking up turnovers and being punished in the process, even though there was a slight improvement at the end of the quarter (33-20).
That was when Milwaukee managed to turn the tide, collectively, with Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr’s activity, not forgetting Ryan Rollins’s boost. Philadelphia started firing from distance, with only Maxey holding the fort, but as the defence did not match the aggression, Doc Rivers’s men took advantage, missing very little from shooting and doing everything possible to accelerate the pace (57-55).
Moreover, the pace dropped somewhat after the break and each team kept responding. On one side, George and especially Maxey did their best to put the Sixers back in front, through drives. On the other, it was Kyle Kuzma who took the game into his own hands to keep the Bucks ahead, displaying his full offensive repertoire. The suspense was thus total (81-77).
Ryan Rollins tried everything
Full of confidence, Tyrese Maxey was the spark that destabilised a Milwaukee defence unable to contain him, in scoring and creation. His teammates took advantage to feast and it was logically Philadelphia who went back in front. Yet, the hosts did not give up and, carried by the crowd, they found their three-point accuracy again and Myles Turner ended up giving them the lead with 15 seconds remaining. Before Maxey, again and again, equalised at the free-throw line to send it to overtime (106-106).
With Maxey regularly double-teamed to make him give up the ball, it was Justin Edwards and Quentin Grimes who tried to force the decision in overtime, except that Rollins hung on to maintain hope for the Bucks. Without it lasting because, from the free-throw line, Grimes then Maxey completed the Sixers’ success, which had to be snatched on a back-to-back (123-114).
In the end, Maxey finished with 54 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocks! Alongside him, George delivered a second comeback match with 21 points in 25 minutes, only limited by his playing time towards the end. In the opposing ranks, Rollins produced a big double-double without Giannis Antetokounmpo: 32 points, 14 assists and six rebounds.
76ers vs. Bucks: Key takeaways
Tyrese Maxey in a state of grace. For the fourth time in his career, Maxey reached the 50-point mark, and it was a true masterpiece from him in Milwaukee, despite all the fatigue accumulated in two days. Setting his new points record, the player George compares to Allen Iverson taught all the Bucks defenders a lesson, having let him gain confidence from the start of the match and ultimately regretting it, only sending two or three defenders at him towards the end. Without Joel Embiid, and even with George, there is clearly a feeling that the Sixers are becoming his team and, when you see his current level of play, that is no bad thing.
Milwaukee just at equilibrium. At home and against a team on a back-to-back, the Bucks had a fine opportunity to bounce back. Except they conceded their third consecutive defeat and, without Antetokounmpo for a good ten days, they now hold a record of eight wins and eight defeats. Weighed down by their transition defence or their too many second chances given to VJ Edgecombe or Dominick Barlow, Rivers’s men also and above all took on water against all the class of the George-Maxey duo, who scored more than 60% of the Sixers’ points.
This article was originally published on Basket USA.