Sixers’ bench erupts, Paul George steadies the ship in road win over Bucks

The Sixers rolled into Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back, missing Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Trendon Watford, and still walked out with one of their most balanced wins of the season.

Their 116–101 victory over the Bucks was powered not by Tyrese Maxey or Paul George alone, but by a bench unit that absolutely torched Milwaukee and outscored the Bucks’ reserves by a massive margin.

Philadelphia’s second unit dropped 61 points, more than half of the team’s total. Quentin Grimes led the way with 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting and four threes, while Jabari Walker added 18 and looked like he owned the building. On a night when Maxey posted a season-low 12 points and Embiid was in street clothes, the bench simply took the wheel.

Paul George delivered a clean, professional performance with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, stepping in as the steadying force when the game tightened in the fourth. Meanwhile, the Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo and got only 22 points from Bobby Portis as their offense sputtered.

Paul George: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

20 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST

all in 30 minutes of play for @Yg_Trece @PALottery pic.twitter.com/X2fy3LlPrR

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 6, 2025

Maxey Takes What the Game Gives Him

The Bucks clearly spent the entire locker room speech talking about Maxey. Ryan Rollins picked him up full court from the opening tip, Doc Rivers threw different coverages at him, and everything Milwaukee did screamed one thing: “We are not letting you score 54 on us again.”

Maxey adjusted. He scored early, then focused on defending and facilitating. His four steals turned into easy buckets, and he blocked a shot for the fifth straight game. Even when he isn’t lighting up the scoreboard, he is impacting the game in real winning ways.

The Sixers forced seven first-quarter turnovers and turned them into a 17–7 advantage in points off turnovers by halftime. Maxey played a major part in that.

The Bench Turns Into a Fireball

The Sixers’ second unit came in and immediately started cooking Milwaukee’s defense. Grimes, Walker, Jared McCain, and Kyle Lowry moved the ball, played with pace, and hit shot after shot. They opened 6-for-6 from the field, including four threes, and the momentum flipped completely.

Adem Bona, who continues to give Nurse real two-way minutes, added tough buckets inside and helped build a 33–20 lead. Walker found every open pocket of the Bucks’ zone to punish them, knocking down threes, grabbing offensive rebounds, and playing with a physical edge that Milwaukee couldn’t match.

By halftime, the Sixers’ bench had 40 points. Walker alone had 16, and Grimes was heating up from deep.

Lowry even got in on the action, drilling a transition three that put the Sixers up by 22 and forced Doc Rivers to burn a timeout after celebrating himself into a mini meltdown.

Paul George Closes It Out

The third quarter was the only lull. The Sixers went nearly four minutes without a field goal, the Bucks trimmed the lead down to single digits, and suddenly it felt like another collapse might be brewing after Thursday’s chaotic Warriors game.

Then Paul George stepped in and did exactly what a veteran star is supposed to do.

He hit big mid-range shots, controlled pace, facilitated late-clock possessions, and fed Edgecombe for a dagger three. Once Grimes buried his fourth three of the night to stretch the lead back out, Milwaukee never really threatened again.

Even with Maxey’s streak of 21 straight 20-point games ending, the Sixers walked comfortably to the finish line because they were simply the deeper, smarter, more connected team.

Tyrese Maxey continues generational season, drops third straight game with 35-points in thrilling win over Warriors

Up Next for the Sixers

The Sixers return home to face the Lakers on Sunday night. With Embiid expected to return and the bench humming, they have a chance to build some real momentum again.

The Sixers didn’t need another 30-piece from Maxey. They didn’t need Embiid. They didn’t even need perfect offense. They just needed a bench that came ready to dominate and they absolutely did.

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