The New York Knicks relentless pressure forced Philadelphia's star into a grueling 47-minute marathon. To survive this series, the supporting cast must capitalize on open looks and provide late-game firepower.
In a recent interview, rookie guard VJ Edgecombe talked about how the Philadelphia 76ers' offense needed to step out.
"I think they just want someone else to beat them, regardless of who it is. Just not Tyrese," Edgecombe said.
This quote shows that the New York Knicks have decided to key in on Maxey and make things as difficult as possible for him. As a result, the rest of the 76ers roster has to step up.
Tyrese Maxey did plenty in Game 2, but the 47 minutes he logged told the bigger story. Philadelphia’s star guard finished with 26 points, six assists, and three rebounds, yet the Sixers still fell 108-102 to New York in a game that featured 25 lead changes and never really gave either team much breathing room. By the end, Maxey looked like a player who had spent every ounce of energy just trying to keep Philly afloat.
The best sign for the Sixers was that Maxey still started strong. He had 19 points at halftime, but his production tapered off after the first half. New York’s late 9-0 run turned a one-point game into a win, and in the fourth quarter, the Knicks held Philadelphia to 12 points on 21.1% shooting. Maxey himself was 2-for-8 in the final period, and the Sixers’ offense simply did not have enough juice once New York tightened the screws and got going offensively.
That is where the rest of the roster has to do more. Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. each finished with 19 points, and V.J. Edgecombe added 17, which helped keep the game close for long stretches. Philadelphia also did a good job finding the corners, finishing 9-for-15 from the corners overall and getting open looks when New York focused on Maxey.
However, the team failed to capitalize when the game was close. The Sixers went just 1-for-5 from the corners in the fourth, missing several clean chances right when the game was there to be won.
That is why this loss should not be read as Maxey failing to carry the load. It is more accurate to say he carried too much of it. He was good enough to give Philadelphia a shot, but not good enough to overcome a second-half slowdown without more offensive help around him.
If the Sixers want to make this series competitive, they need a better closing stretch from Maxey, and they need more firepower from everyone else when he starts to slow down.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.