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76ers’ Tyrese Maxey admits ‘lost confidence’ amid concerning injury vs. Knicks
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- 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey admits ‘lost confidence’ amid concerning injury vs. Knicks
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Facing the New York Knicks in the Game 2 of their semifinal series without the services of Joel Embiid , the onus to lead the Philadelphia 76ers in their quest to steal an all-important game on the road fell on Tyrese Maxey ’s shoulders.
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And while Maxey was productive for most of the night as the 76ers kept in step with the Knicks despite being shorthanded, he could not get it done in crunch time — scoring just five points in the final frame as Philly fell short, 108-102 .
Maxey has been a trooper for the 76ers all season long, and with Embiid out, he had to log an inordinately heavy workload — playing 47 minutes in Game 2. The fatigue seemed to catch up with Maxey, as he shot just 9-23 on the night to finish with 26 points.
It did not help matters whatsoever that Maxey jammed his injured right finger; after the game, the 76ers guard admitted to losing his confidence on drives and navigating the Knicks’ double teams, as per Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice.
Maxey turned the ball over six times on the night as well, and his finger injury may be affecting his ability to take care of the basketball. The 76ers star guard needs help when it comes to handling the rock and getting to the basket, and with Embiid out, the responsibility to carry the team should not fall solely on his shoulders.
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Hearing Maxey apparently lose his confidence in dribbling around double teams has to be concerning for 76ers fans. Game 3 will be a must-win for the 76ers, and Maxey, with just one full day of rest between Games 2 and 3, will have to figure it out quickly.
Paul George and VJ Edgecombe all need to step up from a playmaking/ballhandling standpoint, while Quentin Grimes is going to have to turn it on if the 76ers were to win Game 3 especially with Embiid’s status up in the air.
Related: Paul George reveals what went wrong for 76ers in Game 2’s 4th quarter
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