Tyrese Maxey was the best basketball player on the court last night. Win or go home, season on the line, Maxey put everything he had into his standout game vs the Hawks. The 20 year old played his heart out Friday night, left it all on the court, and was the backbone in the Sixers crucial Game 6 win against Atlanta.

Maxey has put his soul into this basketball team for all of his 72 total games played this year, not skipping a beat each night. The kid came off the bench last night and gave this team a spark that they desperately needed. Maxey provided 16 points, 7 rebounds, while he was +12 on the game, and finished his night off with two clutch free throws. Following the game, veterans including Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid had nothing but praise for the rook.

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance”. Tyrese Maxey lives and dies by this quote, and every bit of that was on display last night. Whether we’re watching a 10:30 regular season west coast game, or a do or die game 6 in Atlanta, Tyrese is always going to give you his 110%.

After a historically bad Game 5 from Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, the team needed a big night from either of the two to secure the win. With Ben Simmons going out early in foul trouble, Maxey knew his time was coming.

Being a bench player in the NBA is one of the toughest jobs, due to your lack of knowledge on playing time, who’s going to be on the court, and so much more. Tyrese takes that all into accountability, and “stays ready” as he said postgame. Bringing juice to a team that looked dead Wednesday night, isn’t an easy job, especially from a rookie coming off the bench.

The lights are never too bright for Tyrese Maxey, something we’ve seen since the day that he was selected with the 21st pick. The rookie provided life, energy, and determination last night, while putting on a clinic in a pivotal game 6.

The young prodigy will look to carry that momentum into Game 7 Sunday. Back in Philadelphia, looking to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Look out for the rookie to get some key minutes in this primetime game, as the Sixers look to close out the Hawks on their home court.

Mandatory Credit: Getty Images