Tyrese Maxey drops 43 as Sixers outlast Magic without Joel Embiid
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 27: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Orlando Magic on October 27, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
In what would be the hardest challenge for the Philadelphia 76ers so far this season, they welcomed the Orlando Magic into Philly for the second home game of the season.
The Magic match up very closely to the Sixers, and have a little more experience together. None of that mattered because the Sixers took it to the Magic early on.
The first quarter didn’t start fast for either team, but the Sixers took control as the first quarter wound down, and they took a 5-point lead into the second quarter. When they went into the second frame, they extended the lead and went into the locker room at the half with a 72-60 lead.
For the third straight game, the third quarter was the Achilles heel for the Sixers. The main difference is that in the previous 2 games, they had to make heroic comebacks to win those games, in tonight’s game, the Sixers were able to overcome the 34-29 deficit in the third to keep battling and hold the lead which they did in the fourth, with a convincing 136-124 win over a team that is expected to go deep in the playoffs.
What was very good to see was that, in a planned night off for Joel Embiid in the first game of the back-to-back, and they were able to hold off the strong second half for the Magic, the other bigs were able to come through, including Adem Bona, who protected the rim and made a highlight reel block that went back the other way. Andre Drummond pulled down critical boards, and Kelly Oubre Jr. played with authority all game, dropping in 25 points and 10 boards in 40 tough minutes, for his first double-double of the season.
The truly incredible thing we’re seeing early on is that the Sixers’ backcourt connection of VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey is gelling faster than even our wildest hopes for this duo coming into the season. They play like they have been playing together for years. This was on display early in the 3rd quarter, when Edgecombe blocked a Paolo Banchero, and Maxey took it back the other way for an easy bucket.
While Edgecombe is exciting to watch, the team is resting on Maxey’s shoulders. For the second time this season, Maxey dropped in 40 or more points, with 43 tonight.
VJ did drop in 26 points, but what was impressive to watch was his off-ball movement to free up Maxey to move a little more freely. What is just as remarkable is that he played 42 minutes as well. This makes his finishing ability late in the game more impressive.
Maxey was the catalyst for the Sixers ending the game on a 19-9 run as time ticked away to ice the game. He plays hard on both sides of the ball, and to have that level of energy to close out the game is something the team can build on moving forward.
This was the first time that the Sixers entered the fourth with a lead, and though it was a little dicey for a bit in the 3rd, they proved that they have grit and can adjust the way the team plays in the games where Embiid is in street clothes, taking games off. What is important to this team is that the backcourt is visibly having fun on the court, and the team has the desire to compete.
Orlando is coming into this season with extremely high expectations, and the Sixers handled them well, without two of the bigs available for tonight’s game. Last season against long, athletic teams like Orlando, the Sixers didn’t have the juice to stop them when Embiid went down. Tonight, they showed that the guard play and the rotation inside, along with Oubre coming over to help make this Sixers team a problem for just about anyone.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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