76ers

Philadelphia 76ers demolish New Zealand Breakers 139-84

The Philadelphia 76ers are officially back…well, sort of. In their preseason opener, they made quick work of the New Zealand Breakers, rolling to a 139-84 win. And let’s be honest, this one was over before it even started—thanks to a scorching first quarter from Tyrese Maxey.

Game Notes:

  • Final Score: Philadelphia 76ers (1-0): 139 | New Zealand Breakers (0-2): 84
  • 76ers Starters: Tyrese Maxey, Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond
  • 76ers Injuries: Joel Embiid and Paul George out (rest)

Top Performers:

  • Tyrese Maxey: 15 pts, 3 ast, 4-5 3PT
  • Reggie Jackson: 15 pts, 2 ast, 5-7 FG
  • Guerschon Yabusele: 15 pts, 2 ast, 6-6 FG

Tyrese Maxey catches fire early

No Joel? No problem. Maxey lit up the Breakers in the first quarter, dropping 15 points while dishing out three assists. He was lethal from deep, hitting four of his five attempts from beyond the arc. The Sixers came out blazing, leading 40-19 after the first 12 minutes, and Maxey set the tone with his sharp perimeter game.

Tyrese Maxey Q1: 15 PTS | 5-7 FG | 4-5 3FG | 3 AST

Andre Drummond stepped up, too. Filling in for Embiid, he put in work with 11 points and seven boards—oh, and he even knocked down a corner three.

Yes, Andre Drummond hitting threes. Wild, right?

Drummond’s presence on the glass was a breath of fresh air after last season’s rebounding struggles.

Guerschon Yabusele made his Sixers debut and did a little bit of everything. He finished the night a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and was a key cog in Nick Nurse’s small-ball lineup early on, working a smooth two-man game with Kyle Lowry, who had four assists in the first quarter.

Jared McCain makes his 76ers debut in the 2nd quarter

The second quarter gave us a look at rookie Jared McCain. It was a slow start for the Duke product, but once he got going, he showed flashes of what he can bring.

After a couple of misses, McCain knocked down a slick pull-up three off a Yabusele screen, then followed that up with back-to-back corner threes. His shot release? Reminiscent of former Sixer Nicolas Batum—quick and no hesitation.

While McCain found his groove, Reggie Jackson came in hot in the third quarter. After sitting the first half, Jackson poured in 15 points, hitting shots from deep and driving to the basket. It’s exactly the kind of offensive punch the Sixers will be looking for from him this season.

The Bench Seals the Deal

By the time the third quarter rolled around, Nick Nurse had emptied the bench, and Philly’s reserves kept the pressure on. Rookie Adem Bona impressed, scoring an and-one bucket, while Justin Edwards contributed with a transition layup.

The fourth quarter was full-on garbage time. Even two-way players like Lester Quinones, Judah Mintz, and Isaiah Mobley got some run. Quinones stood out, finishing with seven points and three rebounds as the Sixers outscored the Breakers 26-16 to close things out.

The 76ers will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves on Friday at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Ideally, that’s when 76ers fans will finally get their first look at Paul George.

Mandatory Credit: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

Freshman journalism major at Temple University, NBA/76ers contributor for The Liberty Line, and owner of Sixercountry on Instagram, which has over 40,000 followers. I am aspiring to be a credentialed 76ers reporter and top NBA personality.

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