Sixers fall in double OT thriller despite Embiid’s return, Maxey’s 44-point night
The Sixers finally got their Big Three on the floor together. Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey were all available for the first time this season on Sunday night in South Philly but unfortunately, the rare celestial alignment ended in an exhausting, double-overtime loss.
The Sixers fell 142-134 to the Hawks on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in a game that felt like it lasted six hours and took five years off every fan’s life. Philly now sits at 10-9 while Atlanta bumps up to 13-8.
Tyrese Maxey was unbelievable, pouring in 44 points with nine assists and seven rebounds. Quentin Grimes dropped 28 and hit some massive shots.
Embiid, back after a nine-game absence, looked solid in spurts, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes. The rust is always going to be there. For Embiid to look anything like year’s past, he needs to log consistent minutes to get back into rhythm. Until then, just expect him to be not as dominant and moving “fine.”
Jalen Johnson put on a full superstar audition for Atlanta with 41 points, 14 boards and seven assists. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 34 and torched the Sixers during key stretches.
Embiid Returns Without Any Alarms
Joel Embiid wasted no time easing back in, hitting a jumper on the first possession of the game. His mobility looked solid. He wasn’t laboring. He even closed out with good pop. But there was definitely rust. A travel here. A late rotation there. A couple jumpers short. Nothing shocking for someone who hadn’t played in nearly three weeks.
The bigger takeaway: he didn’t look physically compromised. The knee held up.
Maxey’s First Half: Not Pretty, Still Productive
Maxey’s shooting was off early, Dyson Daniels bothered him defensively, and the turnovers piled up. He had four giveaways in the first half. But superstar players find ways to score anyway, and that’s exactly what Maxey did by getting to the line. He made six of seven free throws before halftime and hit two with 3.9 seconds left to give Philly a 58-57 lead.
He has scored at least 20 in all 19 games this season. That trend did not slow down Sunday.
The Fourth Quarter Meltdown
The Sixers started the fourth like a team trying to lose on purpose. Embiid bricked two jumpers. Maxey turned it over. Atlanta went on a 13-0 run. Suddenly the Hawks were in full control.
Philly didn’t score until Paul George finally got a driving layup with 7:37 left. The Embiid minutes were rough, and Nurse pulled him with 9:18 remaining. Maxey dragged the Sixers back into it anyway, hitting multiple and-ones and forcing the game into chaos mode.
With the Sixers trailing 115-112, Dominick Barlow scored an and-one. He missed the free throw, but George grabbed the rebound, found Maxey, and Maxey drilled a clutch deep three to tie it with seconds left. Atlanta didn’t convert, and the game went to overtime.
Overtime: The Maxey Marathon
Maxey hit big shots. Grimes hit big shots. George contributed everywhere except shooting. But with 4.3 seconds left in OT, Maxey could have ended it at the line. He missed both free throws. Brutal. Johnson drew a foul with 0.3 seconds left and made both. Double overtime.
Here’s where fatigue usually destroys players. But Maxey, who played 52 minutes, still looked like he had a full tank. Unfortunately, everyone else did not.
Embiid did not play the second overtime. Philly went with Adem Bona at center. The Sixers’ offense stalled. Johnson hit two massive deep jumpers for Atlanta. Philadelphia had nothing left to counter.
Final: 142-134, Hawks.
Up Next for the Sixers:
The Sixers are back at it Tuesday against the Wizards. Let’s see if this is the start of a healthier stretch or just another exhausting chapter in what already feels like a long season. Either way, getting Embiid back on the floor was the biggest win of the night. The scoreboard just didn’t reflect it.
Join The Chase
Read More
Sixers come up short in 108-100 loss against the Celtics in Game 3
The Sixers lost 108-100 to the Celtics on Friday night…
94.1 WIP doesn’t understand this city, and Joe Giglio saying he doesn’t want Joel Embiid back is Exhibit A
I genuinely do not know who 94.1 WIP is programming…
VJ Edgecombe made NBA History on Tuesday night in Boston
I don’t want to hear another word about the Sixers…
Comments (0)