On Monday, the Philadelphia 76ers got some good news regarding their injuries.
Tyrese Maxey, the point guard for the Sixers, is expected to start against the New York Knicks on Tuesday after completing the concussion protocol, which kept him out of action for the previous four games, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Maxey slammed his head on Derrick Jones Jr.’s knee during Philadelphia’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks last Sunday, resulting in a concussion. Two days after the game, head coach Nick Nurse declared that the 23-year-old had suffered a “delayed and mild” concussion, but he still played.
Maxey is one of the top young guards in the NBA and was selected to the All-Star team this season for the first time in his four-year career. With his career highs of 26.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game this season, he has been a constant in Philadelphia’s inconsistent roster.
With Maxey sidelined, the Sixers dropped three of their last four games; their most recent victory came on Sunday, when they defeated the Knicks 79-73 to go to 36-28. Philadelphia has also been without Joel Embiid, the reigning MVP, who underwent meniscus surgery last month and is currently out of commission.
The Sixers need to stay healthy as the playoff battle heats up since they are only a half-game ahead of the Indiana Pacers for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia’s chances of avoiding the play-in round will increase with the return of Maxey to the court, but they will still have a difficult postseason ahead of them.