Tyrese Maxey, though, did his best.
The team’s other four starters, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Paul Reed, combined to shoot just 8 of 36 from the field, thus it wasn’t enough in the team’s 117-99 loss.
That’s terrible, and Maxey’s supporters and commentators on social media were irritated:
Given that Mo Bamba (10 points, six rebounds), Cam Payne (13 points), and Ricky Council IV (16 points, four rebounds) all had fairly successful games off the bench, some of those criticisms may be a little harsh.
In addition, the Celtics (46-12) are a very talented team. With 82 points from the three-headed monster of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porziņģis, Tatum almost achieved a triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists), while Porziņģis contributed a double-double (23 points and 12 boards).
The fact that Boston made 34 of 37 free throws compared to the Sixers’ 11 of 12 didn’t help either.
However, it was evident on Tuesday night that the Sixers, without Embiid, had Maxey and a group of supporting players who, except from the three of Bamba, Payne, and Council, didn’t play very well, whereas Boston had a well-rounded roster of talents whose skill sets actually complimented one another.
Tobias Harris, who finished with 13 points and two rebounds on a 5-of-19 shooting effort, received the most of the derision. There is some history there; Sixers supporters have frequently desired more from the team’s third option and never believed that Harris lived up to the five-year, $180 million contract he signed prior to the 2019–20 season.
It’s still fun to watch Maxey. However, the rest of the Sixers (33-25), who are now just 4-7 since Embiid last played on January 30 due to a left meniscus injury, cannot say the same without him. As they continue to hope that the reigning MVP will return this season, the Sixers must turn things around if they want to maintain their solid postseason position.
In a rivalry game against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, the best player for the Philadelphia 76ers, without Joel Embiid, was outstanding, scoring 32 points and dishing out five assists.