Tyrese Maxey, the star of a star-laden team, led the Sixers again in comeback win
When the Sixers couldn’t buy a basket in the first half and fell behind by as many as 29 points, Maxey was the guy keeping them in it.
Through the first two games of this new-look 76ers team, featuring multiple first-team All-NBA players, including arguably the greatest player of all time, Tyrese Maxey has been the most reliable star.
Maxey scored 32 points on 12-for-23 shooting during Thursday’s 114-106 comeback win over Cleveland in the home opener. When the Sixers couldn’t buy a basket in the first half and fell behind by as many as 29 points, Maxey was the guy keeping them in it. At halftime, he was vocal in rallying the group to what became a massive third-quarter burst. The Sixers outscored the Cavaliers 37-21 in the period to get back into contention.
“Coming in this year, he just seemed to take a level of confidence and maturity,” Nick Nurse said. “And without, you know Tyrese’s personality, without a hint of arrogance. It just feels like he feels so sure of what he can do, and that’s a big step.”
» READ MORE: LeBron James has finally made the Sixers a serious basketball team after a 29-point comeback in his home debut
Maxey joked postgame that fatherhood is what’s turned him into a more mature player. He’s also leveled up as a two-way player, Nurse said. Over the last two games, Maxey has shown off his ability to be an aggressive defender on-ball and on the perimeter.
Against the Cavs, Maxey took on the James Harden assignment in the second half, which helped grind Cleveland’s fast-paced offense to a halt, and set the stage for the massive comeback on the offensive end. He picked up full-court press to further disrupt Harden’s energy on offense and forced four turnovers.
He and Harden even got into a bit of a shoving match near the end, as Harden tried to push him away and even grabbed onto his jersey. “I love him, he loves me,” Maxey joked postgame.
Because of his smaller size relative to the other players in the Sixers’ starting lineup, he seems like an easier target for an opposing attacker.
“Tyrese is kind of like the small guy out there, and usually those guys get picked consistently, but to look at our team, like who are you going to pick on?” Joel Embiid said. “There’s nobody. He’s taken that leap, he’s taken that step, the job that he did today, picking up full court, credit to him. Every single year, it’s been like that. He’s gotten better.”
Even with all the offensive talent on this Sixers team, Maxey is the one carrying the ball up the floor, with the ball in his hands at the point. He played a team-high 42 minutes, but only seemed to gain more energy as the game went on — which is maybe not all that surprising for the NBA’s minutes per game leader in 2025-26.
» READ MORE: Sixers beat Cavaliers, 114-106, after trailing by 29 points in wild home opener
Coming out of the half, the Sixers were in desperate need of someone to step up. Maxey delivered.
“He totally changed the game, I think,” Nurse said. “He came out and it’s — he’s out there doing that, and the rest of the guys are in the back watching, and then all of a sudden, they start saying, ‘I’m in, I’ll be in on this too,’ and then all of a sudden you’ve got everybody. He provides not only the physical effort to start it, but a spark that got everybody kind of emotional.”
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
