Maxey Drops 39, Sixers Find Their Legs to Snap 4-Game Slide in Minnesota

The Sixers responded to their recent slide by outworking a depleted Minnesota frontline and weathering an early shooting funk. The 76ers found the grit that was missing in New Orleans, turning a road back-to-back into a statement of resilience without Joel Embiid in the lineup again.

The game stayed tight early as Tyrese Maxey struggled to find his rhythm from deep, leaving the Sixers to rely on defensive activity and bench energy to stay afloat. A ten-point halftime lead felt tenuous until VJ Edgecombe ignited from the perimeter in the third quarter, stretching the floor and allowing Maxey to relentlessly attack the rim. While Anthony Edwards kept pace with Maxey for the first half, the Sixers’ depth and defensive discipline eventually wore down a Timberwolves rotation missing both Rudy Gobert (suspension) and Naz Reid (right shoulder soreness). Philadelphia never let off the gas in the final frame, turning forced turnovers into transition buckets into a comfortable 135-108 victory.

This win snaps a four-game skid and provides much-needed momentum heading into their Tuesday night matchup against the Pacers in Indianapolis.

Maxey’s Distance Shot Improves, But Not Necessary In Another Strong Game

In both games after the All-Star break, Maxey’s three-point shot has seemed to have been missing in action. In the first quarter tonight, it looked like that might stretch to a third game. His shots from beyond the arc felt rushed, and it showed, particularly in how well he got his feet set. This would then turn into his shots being flatter than normal, and without that arc, they lost their accuracy. In New Orleans, that was a huge part of the second-half collapse, causing frustration for all. In the first half tonight, he was only 2-5, but those came in high-leverage moments. This is highlighted by him missing the first two, where both barely grazed the rim. He came back with two big shots that seemed to spark something in him.

In the third quarter, he didn’t need to shoot the three, largely because Edgecombe completely took over from beyond the arc, as noted by his strong 6-for-7 game from downtown. This freed Maxey up to drive to the rim with absolute impunity. After a shaky opening quarter, Maxey poured it on, catching up his All-Star teammate and MVP Anthony Edwards going into the half, tied with 19 points. In the second half, though, Maxey pulled away, finishing with 39 points, pulling away from Edwards, who ended with 28. Maxey closed out the game 4-7 from three, which is a massive improvement and a good sign of things to come.

A Lift Off the Bench

On the second night of a back-to-back without Embiid, the Sixers were once again thin up front. This required a pretty strong showing from the bench players tonight. The Timberwolves came in missing Gobert as well, making bench points incredibly important tonight. In the first half, Maxey started slow, especially from distance, so the fact that points came from Adem Bona and especially Quentin Grimes while Maxey was finding his groove was a huge reason the Sixers took a 10-point lead into the half. Part of this was that there were two incredible passes from a driving Grimes to Bona, who threw the ball down with authority to close out the first half.

In the second half, they didn’t need it as much, especially with Edgecombe shooting the lights out from outside and Maxey driving to the rim at will. But this wasn’t the end of what they gave the team tonight; they kept the Wolves’ talented rookie Joan Beringer in foul trouble and not able to fill in for Gobert. They held him to seven points and, most importantly, only three rebounds before he fouled out in the fourth. He was matched up with Bona frequently on switches, and couldn’t overcome the havoc that both Bona and Andre Drummond caused for him tonight. The effort plays were the difference tonight, and in times where the Sixers normally give back leads, the bench kept them afloat until the offense found its footing again. Grimes ended with 19 huge points and 7 assists.

Sixers Effort Plays Set the Tone

Perhaps the most frustrating thing from last night the lack of effort in the third and fourth in New Orleans. In a night where the 76ers were getting open looks, squaring up, and just missing shots, which should have been the most frustrating aspect of the game, they looked like the frustration from the shooting woes took them completely out of the game. While that may have been frustrating, the Sixers seemed to take that even more personally. All of them came out tonight playing hard, and that effort was rewarded with better looks at the rim and ultimately shots falling, especially from deep, where they shot 21 of 37, which only tells half the story.

In the first half, the Sixers’ effort was showing up on defense. Their lane discipline and active hands kept the Wolves from establishing any kind of rhythm offensively, especially with Reid and Gobert being out. This made the Wolves play a thinner rotation, letting the Sixers get into rhythm early, and the effort from the opening tip to the final buzzer was much improved tonight, right when the Sixers needed it most.

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