PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey is naturally at the top of the Celtics scouting report on a nightly basis. The All-Star guard is lightning quick, and as he’s shown in spurts this first-round series, can catch fire in an instant.
But the Celtics have slowed down Maxey to a reasonable extent through the first three games of the series. Maxey will still get production as the head of the snake for the Sixers, but getting those buckets efficiently is another question. Jordan Walsh gave an honest take on how the C’s feel like they’ve defended Maxey so far.
“I actually think we’ve done a great job,” Walsh said. “The offense is still ran through him, so he’s going to get all the shots that he wants. He’s still going to get the ball in positions where they’re going to put him in to succeed. In spite of all that, I think we’ve done a great job. To some people, it may not seem that way. But inside the organization, we feel like we’ve been doing a good job and we can kind of get to the next level and amp it up a little bit more.”
Of course, Maxey has still had his moments in the first three games. The Sixers have played the Celtics tough after getting blown out in Game 1. His back-to-back 3-pointers in Game 2 to ice the Sixers victory stands out. Maxey went off in the second half of Game 3 to help the 76ers momentarily grab the lead, though the Celtics got crunch-time heroics in the win.
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Maxey is averaging 27.0 points and 7.7 assists through three games, but that’s on 39.2% shooting from the field and 37.2% on 3-pointers. Considering how many shots he takes, making life difficult for Maxey is a win for the Celtics. Notably, Maxey is also averaging just 3.0 free throw attempts per game, meaning the C’s aren’t fouling him despite the heavy workload.
“It’s a lot of effort,” Walsh said. “Lot of technical things you have to know. Most of all, just playing as hard as possible. Trying to disrupt the offense. Trying to leave my imprint on the game. Stuff like that makes a difference. And then crashing and trying to attack him on defense.”
Walsh has gotten the Maxey assignment in this first round, his first lick of real playoff minutes. The lengthy wing has given Maxey trouble and was a key part of slowing him down some in Game 3. Walsh credited Jaylen Brown for giving him pointers before the series in how to guard a dangerous player like Maxey.
The Celtics have been able to focus heavily on how to best guard Maxey throughout this first-round series. There’s also a chance former MVP Joel Embiid returns following his appendectomy procedure a couple weeks ago. But Embiid is doubtful going into Game 4, meaning Maxey will once again be the guy offensively.
“This year I get a chance to affect the game,” Walsh said. “Losses hurt more. Wins feel better. Mistakes are heightened. Film sessions are longer. You’re just more in it. All the emotions that you feel — obviously, when you lose, it hurts all the time. Knowing that you could’ve done something to possibly change the outcome of the game is different.”
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