Tyrese Maxey’s 45 lead to Sixers first win of the season
Oct 27, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) looks up at the basket past Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Despite a slow start for Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers, they pulled through to beat the Pacers 118-114 in an overtime thriller.
The absence of Joel Embiid and Paul George was not something Philly expected to start the season, but Nick Nurse being able to regroup and use the tools that he was dealt with led the Sixers to their first victory of the year.
Philadelphia improves and Indiana falls to 1-2 in the first three games of the season.
Maxey’s role without Embiid or George gives him more opportunities to get a bucket, however, he did not take advantage in the first half. Maxey had only 7 points through two periods. His second half, though, was much better than his first.
Maxey put up 38 of his 45 points in the second half/overtime and improved upon his poor first-half shooting to end with a 44% field goal percentage on 32 shots. He also made 12 out of his 15 free throws, including making a few clutch ones towards the end of the game.
Another player who made a positive impact for the 76ers defensively and on the boards was Andre Drummond. He had nine points, 17 rebounds, and two clutch steals in his 37 minutes against Indiana. His two steals at the end of the game helped bring Philly to the charity stripe, where they were able to put away a late comeback bid by the Pacers. Additionally, his dominance at the rim led to multiple scoring opportunities for the 76ers. His rebounding will be extremely valuable for Philadelphia for as long as Embiid is out.
The Sixers take a two-day break and then head back to the Wells Fargo Center where they will seek their first home win on the season against the Detroit Pistons. It will be a homecoming for Tobias Harris, where he will undoubtedly be rained with boos by the Philadelphia fans.
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Evan Hartenstein
Evan has been a member of the Philly Sports Reports team since March 2023. He is covering the 76ers and wants to pursue a long-lasting career in Sports Journalism.
