Sixers Tyrese Maxey Allen Iverson 3 Point Record

Tyrese Maxey breaks Allen Iverson’s franchise three-point record in 124-117 win over the Heat

On a night when the Sixers needed a signature moment, Tyrese Maxey delivered one.

Philadelphia beat the Miami Heat 124-117 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday, moving to 33-26 on the season, and the story of the night was Maxey breaking Allen Iverson’s franchise record for made three-pointers.

Tyrese Maxey surpassed Iverson’s mark of 885 with a step-back jumper late in the first quarter, the Sixers put it on the Jumbotron, the crowd gave him MVP chants, and then he went ahead and drained his fifth triple of the quarter to close out a 20-point first period.

That is how you celebrate a milestone.

Tyrese Maxey needed four threes, drilled five in the first quarter:

The context makes the record even more impressive.

Iverson played 722 games as a Sixer and shot 30.9 percent from three. Maxey got there in 375 games at 38 percent. He was the 21st pick in the 2020 draft, averaged 15 minutes a night as a rookie, and shot 30 percent from deep in his first season.

What he has built since then, through work and hunger and relentless improvement, is one of the better individual development stories in the league over the last few years.

Breaking an Iverson record at 25 years old is not a small thing.

Tyrese Maxey finished with 28 points and 11 assists.

Joel Embiid added 26 points and 11 rebounds, though his night came with the usual asterisks. He left the floor in the second quarter, returned a few minutes later visibly grimacing and moving gingerly, at one point waving toward the bench like he was not sure he could continue, and then went out and scored 21 first-half points anyway.

This was just his second game back after a five-game absence with right knee and right shin issues. The Sixers cannot afford to keep playing this game with his health, but for now he is out there and when he is out there he is still capable of putting up 26 and 11.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 21 points and VJ Edgecombe added 19, including a late and-one that helped the Sixers build their cushion early. Bam Adebayo had 29 and 14 for Miami and Tyler Herro posted 25, so the Heat were not making it easy.

The third quarter was a problem, because the third quarter is always a problem for this team. Miami opened the second half on a 7-0 run, the Sixers went ice cold and scored four points in the first six minutes of the period, and the Heat eventually grabbed an 81-80 lead on an Adebayo three.

Timely jumpers from Cameron Payne and Dominick Barlow helped Philadelphia exit the third with a seven-point edge, which is the best-case scenario outcome when this team plays the way they do in the second half.

Miami stayed close and grabbed a 117-116 lead on a Herro jumper late. Then Maxey made two free throws, Oubre knocked down a catch-and-shoot three, and Embiid hit a jumper right in front of the Heat bench to put the game away. The kind of shot that makes you remember why you root for the guy when he’s healthy and locked in.

Joel Embiid with the dagger

The bad news: Johni Broome will undergo surgery on a right knee lateral meniscus tear this weekend and may miss the rest of his rookie season. Nick Nurse did not officially rule him out but the indication was clear. That is a tough break for a young player who was starting to contribute.

The good news is that on this night, the Sixers had what they needed. Tyrese Maxey broke a record that has been held by one of the most beloved players in franchise history, and he did it in style. That is worth enjoying.

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