PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a daunting position after a 108-94 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 3 at home on Friday. Now trailing 3-0 in the series, the Sixers are facing elimination, with NBA history offering little hope for a comeback.
Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers' dynamic young guard, finished the night with 17 points and seven assists on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting. But it was an unusual performance for the typically high-volume scorer. Maxey entered Game 3 averaging 20.3 shot attempts per game in the playoffs, yet he took just 12 shots—including only three from beyond the arc. Notably, he didn't attempt a single 3-pointer until the third quarter.
"They just put two on the ball every ball screen," Maxey explained after the loss. "Every ball screen, every (Jalen) Brunson action, they put two on the ball, and I feel like I made the right play."
To Maxey's credit, he did what any smart basketball player would do when facing relentless defensive pressure: find the open man and create opportunities for his teammates. Unfortunately for the Sixers, those opportunities didn't fall. The team shot just 42.9% from the floor overall and a cold 9-for-32 from deep.
Still, with their season on the line, the Sixers need Maxey to return to his aggressive, fearless scoring form—the version that has made him one of the most exciting young guards in the league.
"I shot the ball well," Maxey said. "I shot 8-for-12 and I had seven assists. I think I did a decent job. I passed the ball when I was supposed to. I shot it when I was supposed to."
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau gave significant credit to Mikal Bridges, the primary defender on Maxey. The veteran swingman out of Villanova certainly made things difficult, but Maxey sees it differently—the Knicks simply sent extra defenders his way, and he made the right basketball play.
"I think Mikal's a great defender," Maxey noted. "I think he's really good at what he does. I also think, you know, when you're up on every screen and you put two on the ball every time, my job is to get rid of it. That's just how you play basketball, in my opinion."
As the Sixers look to stave off elimination, the pressure is on Maxey to be the relentless scorer Philadelphia needs—while still making the smart reads that got them this far. It's a delicate balance, but one that could define the rest of this series.