RSS 76ers Team Notes

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Maxey drops career-high 54, Cardiac Sixers do it again with OT win over Bucks

It’s possible these jerseys literally turned Tyrese Maxey into 2001 Allen Iverson.

The Sixers outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks to beat them 123-114 in overtime Thursday night.

Maxey looked every bit the franchise icon, dropping a career-high 54 points. He did it so on 18-of-30 shooting along with nine assists.

Paul George was the only other Sixer who remotely had it going on, posting 21 points and five rebounds, shooting 7-of-12 from the field in a little under 25 minutes of play.

Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe were the only Sixers to reach double digits, with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 32.

Joel Embiid missed his sixth straight game with a right knee injury while the Bucks are trudging on without Giannis Antetekoumnpo, who’s out at least a week with a groin injury.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• What a way to break in the black uniforms for PG. He scored the team’s first 11 points— going right by Myles Turner for a basket at the hoop before knocking down his first three triples of the game. He continued to be responsible for the scoring, finding Edgecombe in transition for a lob.

Paul George sends VJ Edgecombe soaring early in this one

(Kudos to Andre Drummond on the block to start the possession.) pic.twitter.com/H2mAZF4C3A

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

• The offense did slow down after his six-minute shift, but they found some energy in the form of Edwards’ perimeter defense. He was a pest for Ryan Rollins early, nabbing two early steals while picking up a couple more deflections. He wasn’t quite tall enough for Brandon Ingram the night before, but he’s been fairly active on that end the past few games.
• As a whole, the Sixers did a good job attacking the Bucks’ ball handlers to cause six turnovers in the quarter and score 10 fast break points. Jared McCain finally got a bounce to go his way, getting a big friendly hop to give them a 13-point just before the quarter expired.

Second Quarter​

• That defensive cohesion seemed to slip away when they missed their first four shots of the second and the Bucks ripped off a 10-0 run. McCain got picked on a bit but he ended the run with a layup and padded on as he and Grimes each knocked down a three.
• For as well as the Sixers started on the perimeter, the Bucks were able to start shooting pretty well themselves from beyond the arc once they were able to get better looks. Milwaukee made six of their first 10 threes to start the quarter, having a lot of open looks thanks to drives collapsing them.
• Without George and McCain on the floor the Sixers offense became pretty dependent on Maxey, who scored 11 of their last 13 points before the half. He was extraordinary in the half, scoring 23 points on 61.5% field goal percentage. The Bucks continued to take care of the ball and thus kept easily attacking. They took a two-point lead into the half to finish off a big quarter.

Make that 20 (and counting) in the first half for Tyrese Maxey! pic.twitter.com/6O3F9v6c7Z

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

Third Quarter​

• The most annoying whistle in basketball is when the ref waits to see if the shot goes in before calling it. That’s not to say that the calls for Andre Drummond’s fourth and fifth fouls were incorrect — they were the right calls — but it’s irritating nonetheless.
• This fast break started by George was the first of a few solid defensive plays the Sixers strung together to bring them back. Dominick Barlow backed up Drummond at the five and picked up a couple blocks in quick succession. Trendon Watford couldn’t buy a bucket but grabbed a steal to help a Maxey fast-break.

Paul George with the strip, Tyrese Maxey with the dime, VJ Edgecombe with the jam pic.twitter.com/DevUTj2Q5N

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

• It is totally random, but it is wild how this is the only quarter the Sixers can’t take care of the ball. They gave it away four times after only turning it over three times in the first half. Once again, they could only find one source of scoring — Maxey scored or assisted every field goal of the quarter. The Sixers found themselves trailing by four after George couldn’t get a shot off at the buzzer.

Fourth Quarter​

• Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but so many of the Sixers’ problems are erased when their best player is just unconscious offensively. Maxey started off doing most of his damage inside, but his shot started falling as the game went on, burying a couple threes and a deep midrange jumper. George continued to pull his weight when he was out there, using his gravity to get Barlow a layup then driving for a basket of his own.

TYRESE MAXEY. ABSOLUTELY UNREAL.

40 POINTS WITH OVER 9 MINS LEFT. pic.twitter.com/8bDrIIgyus

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

• A big reason so many of the other Sixers had poor shooting lines was that they were just missing their bunnies. After Edgcombe missed his second layup of the night, the offensive rebound found Grimes, who was able to shake his defender for an open layup himself. They finally seemed to find a groove again as Maxey found Edgecombe to redeem himself with an alley-oop on the next possession. They ran another hurdle around this time though as George hit his minutes limit for the night, subbing out with just under five minutes to go.
• The Sixers shooting themselves in the foot out of their use-it-or-lose-it timeout, turning the ball over immediately, allowing the Bucks to hit their second consecutive three to tie up the game. Edwards was replacing George down the stretch and he was really struggling from the floor. He missed a couple threes, one rimming in and out, failing to extend a one-point lead Maxey had given them and falling to 1-of-8 from the floor.
• After drawing an offensive foul, the Sixers still found themselves up one with about 50 seconds to go. Maxey tried to back down Rollins but got his pocket picked. Kyle Kuzma nearly got bottled up but was able to dish it out to Myles Turner for a three that put the Bucks back ahead by two. The Sixers in-bounded to Barlow who screened for Maxey. Maxey snaked his way into the paint and was able to draw a foul on a very contested runner, tying the game up with seven seconds to go. The Sixers didn’t use George for offense but did for the last defensive possession, where they forced a tough stepback three by Rollins that didn’t come close.

Overtime​

• Edwards was able to find a little bit of redemption himself, knocking down his first three of the night when a Grimes drive-and-kick left him fairly open. Maxey crossed the 50-point mark with a pretty left-handed floater and gave his old coach a smile in celebration.

50 BURGER FOR MAXEY pic.twitter.com/bjPOAaJEqW

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

• It helped that Turner didn’t hit his threes, but Drummond did a better job having to chase him around in OT. That said, he did still foul out just after a miscommunication caused a turnover with Maxey. For as great as he was, Maxey turned it over for his fifth time shortly after trying to dribble through a double team.
• Maxey’s teammates finally started to hit shots though, as Grimes buried a three with a hand in his face. He would then get to the line, split the pair, but get to the line on the very same possession thanks to Barlow grabbing the offensive rebound. Those free throws were enough of a lead late to get them the win, and Maxey was still able to draw a couple fouls to get to the line to set a new career-high.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...e-recap-tyrese-maxey-paul-george-vj-edgecombe

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Tyrese Maxey dominates with career-high 54 points in OT win vs. Bucks

(Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 5
Andre Drummond – 2
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Dominick Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1

---

The Philadelphia 76ers battled for a 123-114 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime on Thursday night thanks to a career-high 54 points from Tyrese Maxey.

The 21 from Paul George didn’t hurt either.

This was the second leg of a back-to-back — yes, another one — for the Sixers, marking their fourth of the season already. Only 12 more to go! Philly remained shorthanded with Joel Embiid missing his sixth straight contest due to soreness in his right knee (not the one that has been operated on). Kelly Oubre Jr. (LCL sprain) and Adem Bona (ankle sprain) were also unavailable.

The Bucks were without leader Giannis Antetokounmpo for Thursday’s contest.

This was yet another Sixers’ game that went down to the wire in the fourth and even into overtime for extra excitement. If you’re looking for a full game recap, you can find that here.

But here, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Paul George: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Paul George started this one red hot — about as hot as you can get. He hit his first four shots of the evening for the Sixers’ first 11 points of the game all in the first 2:14 of play. For good measure, he assisted the first bucket he didn’t score himself, too.

Loved this start from Paul George.

PG went 4/4 FG, 3/3 3PT to begin the game to score the Sixers' first 11 points. Then, he assisted on the first bucket he didn't score with a dime to a soaring VJ Edgecombe.

Still playing short stints/low minutes, but very promising. pic.twitter.com/8WPu9R1fBI

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 21, 2025

George is still playing short stints as he works his way back to full-game readiness. Remember, this is only his second game back after an eight-month hiatus. Even so, it doesn’t seem to be affecting his ability to get into the groove of a game quick, and he’s looked extremely comfortable and healthy doing it.

Make that a 20-piece for Paul George! pic.twitter.com/YmOxXmH8VR

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 21, 2025

There’s still a bit to go for PG to look like the nine-time NBA All-Star that he is, but these first few performances back have been extremely promising. The jumpers falling, getting downhill, grabbing boards, playing great defense while looking agile and healthy hopefully all spells the start of great things ahead for George.

PG finished tonight with 21 points, the second-highest scorer for the Sixers behind Maxey’s dominance, on 7-for-12 field goal shooting (58.3%) and was 4-for-7 from long range (57.1%). He also had five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24:42 played.

Tyrese Maxey: 54 points (career-high), 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks

Holy moly, Tyrese Maxey.

The Bucks did not seem to have an answer for Maxey. The guard was extremely aggressive getting downhill early and often, getting through the Milwaukee defense with ease to the cup where he either finished smoothly at the rim, drew fouls, or did both. When he wasn’t doing that, Maxey was sinking silky smooth threes (even from just about the logo) or showing off some great playmaking skills. Maxey was pulling every single trick out of his bag tonight and my goodness, was it dominant.

He also continued to have really solid hands on defense this season, forcing turnovers out of opponents and helping the Sixers get out and running in transition for quick buckets. Maxey had three steals and three blocks in this one.

Even turnovers of his own, something that can happen with Maxey at times, weren’t too much of a factor tonight. He had five turnovers throughout this one in over 46 minutes played. With how involved he was in basically being the Sixers’ entire offense at times, it’s extremely efficient. He was able to be careful with the ball without being reserved or hesitant in the slightest. He had one rough turnover late in regulation, but it looked like he was trying to make something out of a completely broken play from the beginning — plus he scored 54 points — so we’ll give him a break there.

Certainly didn’t look like a guy who traveled overnight after playing more than 38 minutes just 24 hours ago. Not much more you can ask of your point guard. He finished with a career-high 54 points and in an overtime game where the Sixers’ needed every single one, shooting 18-for-30 (60%) from the floor, 6-for-15 (40%) from long range and 12-for-14 (85.7%) from the charity stripe. He also had five boards, nine assists, three steals and three blocks. It was an incredible night for Maxey.

Don’t take my word for it, though, just watch what he was able to do Thursday night below.

What a night for Tyrese Maxey, dropping a career-high 54 points in the Sixers' OT win over the Bucks.

54 PTS (18/30 FG, 6/15 3PT), 5 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK
Maxey was truly dominant all game.

Watch some of his best plays of the night below. There were a lot. pic.twitter.com/GN7R7GPzCb

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 21, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...phia-milwaukee-bucks-tyrese-maxey-paul-george

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

If nothing else, let’s appreciate this Tyrese Maxey season

In the wake of Tyrese Maxey’s career-high 54 points in Philadelphia’s overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s time to stop and reassess the season we’re watching unfold from the 25-year-old guard.

Now at 33.4 points per game, he’s second in the league in scoring behind Luka Doncic (34.6 ppg). He’s far and away leading the league in minutes played at 40.7 minutes per game, a figure that looks like if you’re playing a hoops video game with fatigue turned off. It’s possible to both acknowledge that Nick Nurse absolutely has to stop pushing his star point guard so hard, and marvel that Maxey is doing it. Despite the extreme workload, Tyrese’s efficiency hasn’t suffered one bit. His 42.1 percent mark from three-point range is well above his career average at a career-high volume (9.7 attempts per game), and his assist-to-turnover ratio is a solid 2.81 mark.

As players have shuffled in and out of the lineup, Maxey has been a constant, with he and VJ Edgecombe the only Sixers to start all 15 games thus far (joined by Quentin Grimes and Jabari Walker in appearing in every contest). With nearly every game for the Cardiac Sixers coming down to the final minute, more often than not, it has been Tyrese who the team turns to with everything on the line.

Although the Sixers have an encouraging 9-6 record to start the season, it would be understandable for fans to be a bit detached when the championship goal still feels extremely far away. Paul George only just returned to game action, logging two appearances on the season. Joel Embiid has a new, vague knee ailment with unclear timelines on when he’ll be taking the court. Kelly Oubre Jr had a tremendous start to the year, only to be felled down by a sprained LCL. Jared McCain has understandably not picked up right where he left off following a lengthy absence due to a meniscus surgery and torn ligament in his thumb. There have been any number of flies in the ointment through just one month of the season, even though the Sixers have won more games than they’ve lost.

And yet, let’s not let any of those potentially negative feelings surrounding the team distract or detract from a historically great season by Maxey. We’re about 18 percent of the way through the season and you can make reasonable cases for him to appear on MVP ballots and be First-Team All-NBA. Franchise legend Allen Iverson was the last Sixers guard to travel in these sorts of stratospheric NBA circles. At his current pace, Maxey is going to be on the top-10 of the Sixers’ all-time points list within the next two years. I hate to get too far ahead of things, but if Tyrese stays healthy and with the franchise, it’s entirely realistic for him to top Hal Greer for the top spot in his early-to-mid 30’s. Obviously, a lot would have to stay going well between now and then, but the point is, it’s not simply fan wishcasting to consider that we’re watching someone who may go down as one of the best Sixers of all time.

So even if you think this Philadelphia team’s ceiling is losing in the first round of the playoffs, or if you’re frustrated at the idea of what the roster could be if the team didn’t have two of what were considered to be the worst contracts in the league, remember to enjoy what Tyrese Maxey is doing at the moment. Plenty of franchises dream about having someone playing as well as Maxey right now, so don’t take a single one of these performances for granted.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...else-lets-appreciate-this-tyrese-maxey-season

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Why Tyrese Maxey’s hot start is a great lesson

It was Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. The Sixers were beaten and battered, trailing the series 3-1 to New York. Joel Embiid was essentially playing on one leg and battling Bell’s Palsy. With the Knicks holding a six-point lead with 28.9 seconds left, it felt like it was over — the series, the season, Embiid’s gutsy effort to come back from yet another meniscus surgery.

Not on Tyrese Maxey’s watch.

The electric guard pump faked a wing three, was bumped into by Mitchell Robinson, and sank the shot. After he made the free throw, Josh Hart split a pair on the other end. With 15.1 seconds left and his team trailing by three, Maxey flew up the court, danced around an Embiid screen, pulled up between the N and the E in the middle of New York’s court, and buried the logo trey over Robinson.

Tracy Morgan flipped him off. Jon Stewart was in disbelief. Ben Stiller looked like he’d arrived on the Severed Floor.

In an overtime win, in the most hostile of environments, Maxey dropped 46 points and nine assists to momentarily keep the Sixers’ season alive. It was a performance not unlike his outing in Milwaukee Thursday, where he put an S on his chest and dropped a career-high 54 points and nine assists in an overtime win over the Bucks on the second half of a back-to-back.

Shame on those who allowed a nightmare 2024-25 campaign to dampen their outlook on a 25-year-old who is on a First Team All-NBA track through 15 games in 2025-26.

Let’s revisit last season for a second. Everything about it was awful. Embiid played 19 games. Paul George, who was signed in a major free-agency splash, played 41 games. Several of the other veterans the team signed were hurt, ineffective or both. It was comically depressing.

To look at Maxey’s numbers, it’s easy to conclude he had a down year. His raw numbers were roughly the same as the prior season, but his efficiency took a major hit. With the team ravaged by injuries — including multiple injuries to Maxey himself — he wasn’t able to consistently find his footing … except for one stretch of the season.

During one 12-game span where Maxey was healthy and had adjusted to life atop the opponent’s scouting report, he was sensational. He averaged 33.7 points on 65.3% true shooting, numbers that align pretty well with the 33.4 points he’s averaging on 61.8% true shooting in 15 games this season.

In actuality, the aberration was the poor play.

That didn’t stop folks from wondering what the organization could get for Maxey in a trade. With the team having albatross contracts in Embiid and George, and an influx of young talent with Jared McCain returning as a sophomore and VJ Edgecombe being selected third overall, some wondered what the team could get for a player seemingly in between the team’s timelines. The Memphis Grizzlies acquiring four first-rounders from the Orlando Magic in a summer blockbuster for Desmond Bane piqued more interest from this segment of people.

Seems kind of insane now, right? People thought about trading this guy?!

The easiest argument against that went beyond stats — counting, analytical or otherwise. Maxey has represented hope from the moment he arrived. To dropping 39 during a peak COVID game to basically winning the team an elimination playoff game, his rookie season was sensational. He handled everything surrounding the Ben Simmons and James Harden situations with aplomb. And remember when Doc Rivers bizarrely lied about Maxey asking to come off the bench? Yeah, super weird, but Maxey never threw his coach under the bus.

And he’s yet again bearing the greatest of responsibilities as Embiid again battles injury issues. Yes, Maxey should mean a lot to Sixers fans, but he means hell of a lot more to his teammates. Watch the way he leads and they follow. This season, more than ever, he’s using his voice, getting on his teammates and setting a standard.

Think about it: who the hell would’ve predicted the Sixers would go 9-6 in their first 15 games with Embiid and George barely seeing the floor? Plenty of others deserve credit, but no one deserves more than Maxey.

This feels like a great lesson for us all to be less reactionary. In our social media world, it’s an easy trap to fall into, but all players have rough moments, games and even seasons. Hell, Maxey is sure to hit a little adversity playing over 40 minutes a night and carrying a team on his back.

The context matters, though. So does the character of the player. Some of you might’ve forgotten who Maxey is and what he’s all about. Whatever it is is ineffable. It’s clear though that Maxey has it in spades.

In Maxey’s second season, as a 21-year-old, he poured in 38 points in his first playoff start against Nick Nurse’s Toronto Raptors. That was a point where this writer decided he wasn’t going to put a ceiling on Maxey.

Perhaps you should all follow suit.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ints-bucks-joel-embiid-paul-george-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Edgecombe questionable; Embiid, Bona remain out for Sunday vs. Heat

(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Philadelphia 76ers injury report for Sunday’s afternoon contest against the Miami Heat is out.

There is a handful of names on it — some expected, some not so expected. Let’s go through it.

Sixers' injury report for Sunday afternoon vs. Heat

Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Adem Bona (ankle sprain) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (LCL sprain) all OUT.

VJ Edgecombe is QUESTIONABLE with left calf tightness. pic.twitter.com/radKE7lgpJ

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 22, 2025

The biggest surprise of the injury report is the appearance of rookie VJ Edgecombe, who is questionable for Sunday afternoon with left calf tightness. Edgecombe has played in all 15 of the Sixers’ contests so far this season and is racking up some serious minutes. The 2025 No. 3 overall pick is averaging 37.4 minutes per night, second highest in the NBA trailing only teammate Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 40.7 minutes.

Under the “fully expected” injury designation category is Kelly Oubre Jr., who has already been ruled out for a few weeks due to an LCL sprain in his left knee.

Still unavailable for the Sixers come Sunday are Joel Embiid and Adem Bona. Bona, who sprained his ankle last week, was able to do some on-court work but the team said at practice on Saturday that he will be out at least another two games and he’ll be re-evaluated.

Embiid, still considered day-to-day by the team, will miss his seventh game in a row on Sunday, having been sidelined for the past six contests due to soreness in his right knee (not the knee he had surgery on). The Sixers said at practice Saturday that the doctors believe he needs more time, but that he’s progressing. He has not played since Nov. 8.

The Miami Heat are feeling the effects of injuries as well. Tyler Herro (ankle surgery), Nikola Jovic (hip impingement) and Andrew Wiggins (hip flexor strain) are all out for Sunday. Norman Powell is probable with hip irritation. Terry Rozier is… well… not with the team.

The Sixers and the Heat tip off on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...vj-edgecombe-joel-embiid-adem-bona-nick-nurse

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Heat: First Half Thread

Game Details​

When: Sunday, November 23, 1 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...s-miami-heat-discussion-thread-first-half-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers can’t recover from sleepy start

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 6
Andre Drummond – 2
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Dominick Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1

---

The Sixers followed up arguably their most thrilling game of the season with a dud.

They got off to a slow start and never fully recovered in a 127-117 loss to the Heat Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Fresh off dropping a career-high 54 points, Tyrese Maxey was held below 30 points and seemed to be favoring his right shoulder for much of the contest. Maxey was unavailable postgame, so we’ll update you when more information is available.

The Sixers were without rookie VJ Edgecombe, who missed his first NBA game with a left calf strain. Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona remained out. Miami wasn’t much healthier, missing Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic.

The Sixers fell to 9-7. They’ll host the Orlando Magic Tuesday night.

Let’s get to Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

It was a weird day for Maxey. He had several early attempts rim out on him from deep. He also was seen trying to work out something in his right shooting shoulder.

While Maxey struggled early, he got going a bit with the craziest of shots.

https://t.co/IJnbRENyn7 pic.twitter.com/qQSbU37M6Q

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 23, 2025

Better lucky than good.

Maxey would hit another three off a Justin Edwards’ steal in transition. Jared McCain tied the game with a three on the next possession.

But it just felt like Miami had answers all day. Every time the Sixers would get close, the Heat would rip off a big run.

Though he got 10 shots up in the second half, he didn’t seem nearly as assertive as he’s been this season. It didn’t look like the Heat were doing anything overly complicated — Maxey simply couldn’t get going. Was the shoulder affecting him or was it simply an off game? Let’s hope for the latter.

Andre Drummond: 14 points, 24 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist

One of the biggest storylines of the young season has been the play of the veteran Drummond. He’s been the version of himself the team thought they were getting last season — and then some.

In a game the Sixers lost by 10, Drummond was only a -2. Kel’el Ware’s size was a real issue whenever Drummond hit the bench. With Embiid and Bona both out, Drummond is playing about as well as the team could hope for. He’s giving them starter-caliber minutes.

It’s also getting to a point where teams might have to start respecting his three ball. He made a pretty big three to close the third quarter, bringing the Sixers within six heading into the final frame. The crowd seems to be gasping a lot less when he hoists them up.

He had 19 rebounds through three quarters and finished with 24. So, yeah, he can still do that.

Trendon Watford: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Watford has struggled as of late, so it was good to see him bounce back. This was easily his best game since his first career triple-double against the Raptors a couple weeks ago.

Like with Drummond, the Sixers were simply better when Watford was on the floor. He was a big part of the team’s non-disastrous third quarter. He was able to get downhill and finish through contact on multiple drives.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...t-tyrese-maxey-andre-drummond-trendon-watford

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Where is the national outrage about the Washington Wizards’ rebuild?

The Washington Wizards currently boast the NBA’s worst record at 1-15 after the Toronto Raptors blew them out by 30 points on Friday and they lost a close game to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Last Sunday, they got shellacked by the then-1-11 Brooklyn Nets. This slow start hasn’t been an outlier for them, either.

Last season, the Wizards finished with the NBA’s second-worst record at 18-64, ahead of only the Utah Jazz (17-65). The previous year, they once again had the league’s second-worst record at 15-67, ahead of only the Detroit Pistons (14-68). And as Albert Lee of Bullets Forever noted, they’re now threatening their franchise-record losing streak of 16 games—a mark which they’ve achieved three times in the past two seasons.

Why are you reading about the comically bad Wizards on a Sixers blog, you might wonder? Because, dear reader, I’m wondering when it’s time for them to bring in the Colangelos.

During the three years of the Process, the Sixers went 19-63 the first year, 18-64 the second year and 10-72 the third year. In the midst of stumbling out to a 1-30 start in the 2015-16 campaign, the Sixers hired Jerry Colangelo as their chairman of basketball operations. Five months later, Sam Hinkie resigned as general manager, and Jerry tapped his son, Bryan, as Hinkie’s replacement after an exhaustive* search. (They hired him within days of Hinkie’s departure.)

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, NBA owners had been “lobbying the league’s front office to step in with regard to the direction” of the Sixers since the summer of 2014, which led to the eventual Colangelo Coup. He added that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver “was instrumental in forming the partnership between Colangelo and 76ers owner Joshua Harris.”

“Owners routinely complained about the economic drag the 76ers were inflicting on the league as the revenues of one of the largest-market teams—a franchise expected to contribute more robustly to league revenue-sharing—sagged,” Windhorst reported. “For many teams, games featuring the starless and woeful 76ers as the visiting team have been the lowest-attended of the season, sources said.”

Meanwhile, basketbloggers were referring to the Sixers as “a godless abomination” and a “complete sham.” Howard Eskin was screaming to anyone who’d listen about “Scam Hinkie” and how the Process was the NBA’s version of a Ponzi scheme. The league office clearly wasn’t a fan of that type of bad PR, and thus, the Colangelo Era was born. At least it didn’t end in complete disgrac… oh.

Which brings us back to the Wizards. They’ve put together a worse record over the past two seasons than the Sixers did over the first two years of the Process. They might not start 1-30 this year, but they’ve also embarked upon a systematic teardown in which they’re entrusting most of their minutes to young players who are prone to making boneheaded mistakes. That comes with the natural benefit of high draft picks, which the Wizards used on Alex Sarr (No. 2 in 2024) and Tre Johnson (No. 6 in 2025).

Surely there’s similar outrage about the Wizards’ rebuild, right? If the Process Sixers were an affront to the game of basketball itself, what does that make the Wizards?

Deadspin, which was one of the premier critics of the Process, has admittedly been reduced to a soulless husk of its former self. Most of the previous staff is now at Defector, where they are far too busy writing blogs of actual substance to worry about the Washington Wizards. However, that type of acerbic commentary about the Wizards is nowhere to be found elsewhere on the internet, either.

The blowout loss to the Nets did seem to set off some alarm bells for the Wizards and their beat writers alike. According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, the Wizards held a players-only meeting after head coach Brian Keefe ripped their effort in his postgame press conference. Varun Shankar of the Washington Post wrote an article titled, “The Wizards’ tank job is working so well, it’s concerning.” However, neither Shankar nor Robbins called for them to deviate from their current path. In fact, Robbins doubled down on what he wrote heading into the season: The Wizards should not give into public pressure and should “stay the course, however unpleasant it may feel to fans in the short term.”

David Aldridge of The Athletic echoed that heading into the season.

“There’s a lot riding on the Wizards’ being really, really bad, one more time, and hoping, yet again, that doing the same thing will, this time, yield a different result,” Aldridge wrote. “Yes, that’s the definition of insanity. How else, though, could Washington’s time in NBA purgatory end but with a wild act of (finally) good fortune, atop a legitimate foundation, on and off the floor, that’s slowly taking shape?”

So, to be clear: It’s a war crime against basketball when the Sixers rebuild for three years, but it’s OK when the Wizards do it? In fact, since the Wizards owe their 2026 first-round pick to the New York Knicks if it falls outside the top eight, media members are actively encouraging them to lose?

Ironically, the Wizards do appear to be on the right path, just as the Sixers were in 2015-16 if you looked past their dismal record. Sarr and Kyshawn George are both taking big steps forward in their second season. Johnson looks like A Dude, too. They still might not have a franchise-centerpiece type of player, but that’s what they’re hoping the 2026 draft can solve.

It’s just curious to see how differently these Wizards are being received compared to the Process Sixers.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...s-tank-sam-hinkie-bryan-colangelo-adam-silver

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Joel Embiid upgraded to questionable ahead of Magic matchup

Is that an injury report with good news?

The Sixers released theirs ahead of their NBA cup matchup at home against the Orlando Magic, and on it Joel Embiid has been upgraded to questionable. Embiid has missed the last seven games with a right knee injury. He was a late scratch back on Nov. 11 with what was called knee soreness, before it was eventually upgraded to a knee injury.

The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. ORL:

Joel Embiid — right knee — QUESTIONABLE

Tyrese Maxey — right shoulder — PROBABLE

Paul George — right ankle — PROBABLE

VJ Edgecombe — left calf — OUT

Kelly Oubre Jr. — left knee — OUT

Adem Bona — right ankle — OUT

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) November 24, 2025

That isn’t necessarily a guarantee the big fella will be in the lineup against Orlando. Amongst one of the seven he missed he was listed as doubtful before being eventually ruled out, but he has been trending in the right direction, fully participating in their last couple of practices.

If he does play, how much he’ll be able to pick up from where he left off will be the question. He was pushing that minutes restriction, playing a little over 25 minutes in each of the last three games he appeared in. In those games he averaged 23 points on 46% shooting.

There were a couple unpleasant surprises on the latest injury report, but neither seem to be serious. Tyrese Maxey was bothered by his right shoulder all day after blocking a shot in the first quarter against the Miami Heat. He’s listed with a shoulder sprain, but is probable.

Paul George is listed with a right ankle sprain, but he is listed as probable as well. After the loss to the Heat, Nick Nurse said that George’s own minutes restriction is what stopped him from appearing in the fourth quarter, not any sort of issue with the ankle.

VJ Edgecombe will miss his second straight game with calf tightness. Again, it’s good to see the Sixers remain cautious with him seeing what playing on calf injuries can do. Adem Bona and Kelly Oubre Jr. also remain out as they recover from ankle and knee sprains, respectively.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...graded-to-questionable-ahead-of-magic-matchup

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Blue Coats Check-In: Tracking Broome, McCain, Bates, and Chandler

Much like the NBA season, the G League schedule is in full swing. And while the Sixers have had mixed results so far, the Sixers of tomorrow are taking shape just down I-95 in Wilmington with the Delaware Blue Coats. The Coats have seen a steady flow of NBA assignments and, as always, feature several prospects on the roster producing at a high level.

In this edition of the Blue Coats Check-In, we’ll break down the Sixers’ recent assignees and highlight which Blue Coat has the potential to become a possible contributor in Philly.

Let’s start with some of the big names:

Jared McCain’s G League Stint leading to NBA production​

McCain hasn’t had an easy start to his pro career. After dealing with a meniscus tear last year, he then suffered a UCL injury in training camp. When he finally made his season debut a few weeks ago, he was wearing a large knee brace similar to what we saw Joel Embiid use last season. Between the rust and limited mobility, he struggled early, which resulted in the Sixers sending him to Delaware for a short assignment.

He played two games with the Blue Coats. In the first, he scored 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting. The second was a noticeable step forward, with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting and six assists in 20 minutes against the Greensboro Swarm. One thing that stood out was the switch from the bulky brace to an Incrediwear knee sleeve.

It didn’t take long for the Sixers to bring him back, and since then he’s started to look more like the player we saw last season. Most recently, he scored 15 points in 25 minutes against the Miami Heat.

McCain’s G League trip wasn’t about proving anything. It was simply a chance to get his rhythm back. The G League can be valuable in different ways, and for McCain, just getting real game reps and seeing a few shots fall seems to have helped. It’s unlikely he’ll be back in a Blue Coats uniform this season, but the stint clearly gave him a boost he needed.

Johni Broome gaining steam​

The Sixers came away with what you could call 2.5 rookies from the 2025 NBA Draft class: VJ Edgecombe, Johni Broome, and two-way guard Hunter Sallis. Most of the attention has rightfully gone to Edgecombe, but how has the other true rookie looked so far? At the NBA level, we haven’t seen much of Broome yet, even with injuries to Embiid and Adem Bona, he has yet to see a non-garbage time minute.

Broome has played three games with the Delaware Blue Coats, and he’s been doing a lot of what we saw from him at Auburn: putting up big stat lines. In those three games, he’s averaging 22.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 50% from the field and 37.5% from three. His perimeter shot showed up in Summer League and preseason, and it’s clearly still there.

If you’re not very familiar with Broome yet, or haven’t watched him in Delaware, he’s worth a look. He’s one of the more unusual players you’ll come across. He doesn’t always pass the eye test because his scoring and overall style can look awkward or unorthodox. But when you check the box score, he’s filling it every time.

Johni Broome delivered his best performance as a pro last night for the Blue Coats, posting 30 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes. He shot 13-of-23 from the field and 4-of-7 from three.

pic.twitter.com/yVqhHAbOZA

— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) November 22, 2025

Broome’s most recent game was also his best. He finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in 34 minutes. He shot 13-for-23 from the field and knocked down four of his seven three-point attempts. Offensively, he’s a skilled player who can score in a lot of different ways. He has good touch around the basket, and if the outside shot continues to fall, he has enough feel and IQ to develop into a well-rounded offensive big at the NBA level.

The biggest thing to monitor with Broome is his defense. He’s a smart player with a legit seven-foot wingspan, and he uses it well. The challenge is his athletic profile. At times, it looks like he’s moving in cement shoes, and his vertical isn’t far off from most people reading this. Those physical limitations will always be part of the equation, so his path to becoming a reliable defender will come from the mental side. He’ll need to anticipate well, read actions early, and beat players to spots. Given how sharp he is, there’s real reason to believe he can do it given time and proper development.

Broome has put up big numbers at every stop in his career, and the G League has been no exception. The question now is whether this early success eventually translates to NBA minutes and NBA production — either this season or beyond.

The other, other rookie: Hunter Sallis ​

Remember how I said the Sixers had 2.5 rookies? Sallis is the “half,” signing a two-way deal with the team after the draft. We’ve seen almost all of his minutes come in the G League so far, and the results have been mixed.

On the surface, his numbers look fine: 14 points, five rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 32.3 minutes across three games. The big issue has been efficiency. He’s shooting just 34.5% from the field and a rough 12.5% from three. The defensive production hasn’t been there either, with only 0.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

Coming into the year, Sallis projected as a three-and-D style guard who could fill out the box score and generate turnovers. Instead, he’s struggled with his shot almost the entire time he’s been a Sixer. We still haven’t seen him put together a strong performance — not in Summer League, not in training camp, and not yet with the Blue Coats.

Four games isn’t a huge sample, but if we don’t see progress soon, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Sixers start weighing their options. Their guard room is stacked with Maxey, McCain, Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and veterans Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon. Several of those players have already missed time, and the Sixers still haven’t turned to Sallis in any capacity, which likely speaks to where he’s at.

Sallis is overdue for a good showing, and he’ll get plenty of chances in Delaware to earn his spot. If he can’t string something together, it’ll be tough for the Sixers to justify keeping him around considering the roster makeup and minimal production so far. Of the three two-way players — Sallis, Dominick Barlow, and Jabari Walker — he’s the biggest question mark by a wide margin.

Emoni Bates and the Sixers might be a match​

We’re only a few years removed from Emoni Bates being viewed as the top prospect in the 2022 or 2023 draft class. But an inconsistent season at Memphis, lack of explosiveness, poor efficiency, and legal trouble from a concealed weapon charge tanked his stock. It fell so far that Cleveland grabbed him in the second round at 49th overall. Bates spent two seasons with the Cavaliers — mostly with their G League affiliate — seeing very little NBA action. Cleveland chose not to bring him back, and the former top prospect signed an Exhibit-10 deal with the Sixers in late September.

Bates has suited up for two Blue Coats games so far, and he’s lit up the box score. He’s averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two steals per game while shooting 42.5% from the field and 44.8% from three. Even more eye-opening: he’s taking 14.5 threes per game across those two outings.

Emoni Bates has been outstanding for the Delaware Blue Coats. In 2 games, he’s averaging 28.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on 52.2% shooting. He’s hitting 44.8% from three on 14.5 attempts per game, including a 36-point performance in his latest outing.pic.twitter.com/HJeVK6IvVo

— Harrison Grimm (@Harrison_Grimm) November 24, 2025

Two G League games isn’t enough to firmly stamp anyone, but it is enough to turn heads — mine included. Usually, when a guy is a “real” NBA-level talent, he’ll have nights where he just looks a tier above everyone else on the floor. So far, Bates is that guy. He’s absolutely a name to monitor moving forward. If the efficiency holds, there’s a legitimate chance the Sixers look at converting him to a two-way deal. They’ve been searching for forwards for what feels like years, and Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s injury only cranks up that need.

I still have long-standing concerns about his burst and overall defense. But he has a real NBA frame, and if you pair that with legitimate shooting and shot-making, you get someone who could absolutely stick in the league. For Bates, the path to a two-way contract comes down to holding the efficiency and proving he can defend well enough to survive on the floor. So far, the shooting is there. If he can take a step defensively and continue hitting shots, whether it’s the Sixers or another team, someone is going to take a serious look at the upside he still has. Keep in mind: Bates is still only 21 years old.

MarJon Beauchamp hitting shots early​

Speaking of another fallen prospect, is MarJon Beauchamp; who has signed with the Sixers to an Exhibit-10 deal. Before that, Beauchamp was selected in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022, where he didn’t play much beyond his rookie season. He was traded and has since bounced around a few teams, including the LA Clippers and New York Knicks.

Beauchamp now finds himself in a similar spot to a few years ago: the G League. Some may remember he spent his rookie year with the now-defunct G League Ignite. This time, he’s in Delaware with the Blue Coats.

The biggest question with Beauchamp has always been his shot — or the lack of it. The sample size is small, but so far, he’s been knocking them down. He’s shooting 59.3% from the field through two games and 58.3% from three on six attempts per game. While it’s only two games, his other skills — athleticism and defensive ability — are evident enough that adding a reliable shot could turn him into an NBA-caliber player. The inability to shoot consistently has been the main barrier to his success at the NBA level.

Like Bates, Beauchamp will be a Blue Coat to watch in the coming weeks, especially if the Sixers are looking to add forward depth from within their own system.

Kennedy Chandler making noise​

Kennedy Chandler originally caught eyes in the Sixers training camp, as he was one of the fringe roster guys to seriously get time. Even getting the nod over two-way player Sallis in a few of those contests. Out of all the guys on the training camp Sixers, he appeared to be the main surprise that the coaching staff noticed.

Since training camp, Chandler has taken on a major role with Delaware. He’s started five games so far, averaging 19.9 points, 8.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 34.6 minutes per game. He’s shooting 43.5% from the field, though his three-point shooting has struggled, connecting on just 13.6% of his 4.4 attempts per game.

Chandler’s season has had its ups and downs, which shows in the numbers. On one hand, he’s a high-usage player who scores efficiently and ranks among the best facilitators in the G League. On the other, his three-point shot has been nearly nonexistent thus far. At six feet tall, he’s also undersized for the NBA, making it hard to see where he’d fit with the Sixers. Still, he consistently produces, brings effort, and acts as a sparkplug whenever he’s on the floor for Delaware or Philadelphia.

While it’s difficult to envision a long-term spot for him on the Sixers roster, he has clearly outplayed Sallis so far. If the team plans to devote a two-way spot to a guard, Chandler has made a strong case and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down.

The next chance to see Sallis, Bates, Chandler, and likely Broome will come on Wednesday, Nov. 26, when the Blue Coats travel to White Plains, NY, to face the Westchester Knicks. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with tip-off at 7 PM EST.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-in-tracking-broome-mccain-bates-and-chandler

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers fall into early tryptophan coma, pummeled by Magic

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 7
Andre Drummond – 2
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Dominick Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1

---

At least we didn’t have to worry about Tyrese Maxey playing another 40-plus minutes (although even 32 minutes was far too many in this one). That’s about the only positive takeaway from Philadelphia’s 144-103 nationally-televised loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

With the Sixers missing Joel Embiid, Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona (and also appearing to lose Trendon Watford during the game due to injury), they fell behind Orlando by 26 points at halftime, and 38 points entering the fourth quarter, which set the stage for benches to empty across the entirety of the final period. The Magic kept pouring it on in search of smashing The Cup point differential tiebreaker.

Unlike what has been a dramatic and exciting start to the 2025-26 regular season for the now 9-8 Sixers, it was a sad reminder of how things had been so often last season when it was “Maxey and…who exactly?” and things fell apart completely. Not much to go with here for Bell Ringer, but let’s have it.

Jared McCain: 15 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 0 turnovers

If nothing else, at least second-year guard Jared McCain is getting back into the swing of things on the offensive end. Coming back from both meniscus and thumb surgeries, McCain looked like a shell of his former self to start the season, going scoreless in four straight limited appearances to begin the campaign. However, Tuesday night marked his second straight game with 15 points, as he hit a couple threes as part of an overall 6-of-13 evening from the field. Both triples came in the first quarter when the outcome of the game was actually still in contention, and it’s good to see him finding the range again and making some plays with the ball in his hands.

All smiles after this triple in transition for Jared McCain pic.twitter.com/QE53d2KVHl

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 26, 2025

Eric Gordon: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover

Unlike pseudo-assistant coach Kyle Lowry (who didn’t even get into the game with the Sixers losing by 40-plus points), I’m of the opinion that there’s still a little bit of juice left in the lemon to squeeze out from Eric Gordon. The 36-year-old veteran can still nail shots from a few feet behind the arc, as we saw in his perfect shooting performance against the Magic (4-of-4 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three). There was a brief period last season when both he and Maxey were healthy, and you could see how much his shooting gravity opened things up for Tyrese. I think there’s still a little bit left (like, a very small dose) the Sixers could use in that department this season, especially on nights like Tuesday when they’re missing some perimeter options, even if everyone was making the “Gordon cuts the Magic lead to 37 points” jokes after this one.

The Open 15th Roster Spot: $$$ saved

It was a great night for the Sixers’ open 15th roster spot, who despite not taking the floor, managed to save ownership money by virtue of not counting against the salary cap, with potential luxury tax savings later on. While the team’s on-court product was a rare dud this season against the Magic, we can always take solace in knowing the organization is making thrifty decisions on the margins to save ownership some dough.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-into-early-tryptophan-coma-pummeled-by-magic

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers get steamrolled by Magic, crushing what little NBA Cups hopes were left

Good lord, they need to flush this one as quickly as fans will.

The Sixers turned in their worst performance of the year, falling to the Orlando Magic 1444-103 in an effort that looked like it belonged to the 2024-25 squad.

Tyrese Maxey once again led the Sixers in scoring, though this time it felt like by default. He went for 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting as well as four rebounds and an assist. Easily the best news of the night was Jared McCain building on a good performance, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Anthony Black led all scorers with 31.

Despite being originally listed as questionable, Joel Embiid missed his eighth straight game with a knee injury. Paul George was also a late scratch with an ankle sprain. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Adem Bona remained out. Orlando was most notably without Paolo Banchero, who suffered a groin injury last week.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• It was a slow start both ways — the Sixers missed five of their first six shots to start the night with a few turnovers mixed in. They were able to make up for that by getting to the line a couple of times, as well as Orlando starting similarly as slow. The first possession the Sixers moved the ball they were able to swing to an open McCain, who buried a three upon immediately checking into the game.

Good ball movement leads to a Jared McCain triple! pic.twitter.com/AJwp5o2e5q

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 26, 2025

• This was a tough matchup height-wise for the Sixers, even if they weren’t shorthanded, but they weren’t overwhelmed by it early. Andre Drummond won his early box-outs, grabbing five rebounds in the quarter and blocking two shots on the other end as well.
• Drummond’s rebounding looked more like a necessity when he subbed out of the game as the Sixers immediately surrounded a couple offensive rebounds to Goga Bitadze. They didn’t meet that resistance on the other end though — both Maxey and Justin Edwards were able to get into the paint with relative ease. They shook off that slow start to shoot 57.9% in the quarter, Orlando bounced back just as quickly though to have the game tied up at 35 after one.

Second Quarter​

• It was a sound defensive start for the Sixers, but that slipped away very quickly. They played bigger personnel to start the second, but still got beat in the paint every time down the floor. After surrendering a few layups the Magic’s drive-and-kick game was opened up for easier three-pointers. They lost a handle on Black altogether, who scored 20 in the second. Despite how hot he was, it took the Sixers multiple possessions to stop sagging off of him on the three-point line.
• Things only got worse for the Sixers as they struggled to contain Black. It wasn’t just that they were struggling to stop one player, Desmond Bane also started to get whatever he wanted to off the dribble. The Sixers helped them out as well by turning it over eight times in the second. To make matters worse, Trendon Watford suffered a non-contact injury. He collapsed and was favoring his groin area after a drive, immediately checking out of the game and heading to the locker room. He was ruled out at halftime with a left adductor strain.
• The only positive that came from this quarter was McCain looking more like himself, especially getting shots inside the arc off the dribble. He finished with 13 points in the half. Drummond was seemingly able to get into the head of Jalen Suggs, getting him ejected after picking up a double technical with Wendell Carter Jr. That hardly slowed down the Magic at all though. Fittingly, they capped off the half with a lob to Black, giving them a 26-point lead at the half.

jmac to the hp. pic.twitter.com/VcKPowLVZR

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 26, 2025

Third Quarter​

• Nothing quite sums up the post-first quarter flow of this game better than Quentin Grimes getting himself a wide open reverse layup and smoking it. The Magic only continued to pick up where they left off, despite Drummond burying a corner three at the start of it.
• It is easy, especially in a season as long as 82 games, to recognize when you don’t have it in a certain night. That being said, it’s insane how much more intensity the Magic came out of the half with than the Sixers. The Magic continued to attack every ball on every possession as if they were the team in desperate need of a miraculous comeback.
• This game got out of hand so quickly that Johni Broome appearing as early as the third held no significance whatsoever. He scored his first points of the night finishing off a dump-pass from Jabari Walker, but his first three-point attempt of the quarter was way off and he missed a one-handed push shot he had to get up with the shot-clock winding down. The Magic led by 38 points after three but never fear, Maxey had still logged nearly 32 minutes — mercifully, he was done for the night.

Fourth Quarter​

• OK, it’s time to address the real concerns with this team. They have yet to make a significant playoff run, their two highest paid players hardly ever play, they are largely reliant on whatever Maxey is able to give them, yada yada yada. The real problem is this team cannot get up for the NBA Cup. Tonight’s loss drops them to 4-6 in Cup play. They’ve yet to sniff the knockout round. When will the real problems get addressed?
• How cute was the photo montage of Maxey and his dog and the dogshow? This has been a rough week for the Sixers, but at least they’ve given us some good dog content.

Jared McCain is sharing the podium with Andre Drummond and Bob Marley. He feels this was “definitely” the best he’s felt in terms of mobility during the season and that he’s felt better with each game. Felt especially good about his burst/first step. pic.twitter.com/bJRFcWCyHu

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) November 23, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-maxey-trendon-watford-injury-dominick-barlow

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Tyrese Maxey’s minutes continue to be a problem

My apologies to the sanctity of the NBA Cup, but watching the Sixers trot out Tyrese Maxey for 30-plus minutes in a 41-point loss on Tuesday evening is not sitting well with me. The Sixers were down their four non-Maxey starters against Orlando and this bad boy was over at halftime. Despite it all, there was Maxey in the second half continuously trying to carry the entire roster on his back, as he’s done successfully throughout this young season.

This is nothing new this season. It’s become the norm. It needs to change.

Maxey is leading the league in total minutes played and minutes per game, almost at 40 minutes per night. Nick Nurse and the Sixers are going to run this dude into the ground early in a season where winning a championship is completely off the table.

This isn’t to say that Maxey should be shut down or switched to load management mode given the overall state of the team. I’d be wholly against that. I love that Maxey can be a reliable player nearly every night to entertain fans from the comfort of their couches or at the arena in South Philadelphia. In an era where Joel Embiid’s health status felt like it determined whether the Sixers would win or lose before tipoff even happened, it’s refreshing to see a point guard primed to make his first All-NBA appearance this season be The Guy the city can latch onto come gameday. What worries me is that his current usage is going to prevent that from regularly being the case the season or, frighteningly, beyond.

The Sixers’ roster construction has been a major problem and contributes heavily to this. Embiid and Paul George are making over $100 million combined this season and are rarely in the lineup. The team’s resources are poured into two name-brand players who have histories as elite scorers. When their spots are filled by cheap bench players who could never sniff their peak scoring touch, Maxey is playing with worse talent around him and necessitating him to essentially do everything for the Sixers’ offense.

The guard depth and back end of the roster are no help to Maxey in their own right.

37-year-old Eric Gordon has played 44 minutes total this season. 39-year-old Kyle Lowry has played three. Those are just complete wastes of roster spots when the team is burning out their brightest star on a nightly basis.

This is a front office issue as much as it is a coaching issue!

I want a full season of Maxey leading the Sixers on a path to compelling basketball. I want him leading a young Sixers core deep into a first-round series against a clear-cut better playoff opponent, willing them to the possibility of advancing come April. What I don’t want is it to be January and we’re all receiving a horrific push notification on our phones about a Maxey injury due to him being overworked.

Sixers, please, let Maxey loose and help him find his way to superstardom, but do it smartly.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-analysis/81562/tyrese-maxeys-minutes-continue-to-be-a-problem

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

It’s beginning to look like last season for the Sixers

The Sixers got off to a promising 5-1 start this season, but they’ve come crashing back to earth over the past few weeks. The bottom fell out Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic, as their injury-depleted husk of a roster got annihilated, 144-103, in by far the worst loss of the season.

After the game, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that the Sixers “didn’t play well enough or hard enough or get back enough.” What was left unsaid: They were woefully undermanned, which has this starting to feel just like last season all over again.

Nick Nurse was asked if he thought the fans left the game feeling like the team worked hard tonight:

— Austin Krell (@austinkrell.bsky.social) 2025-11-26T04:02:58.031Z

Joel Embiid (knee) and Paul George (ankle) both missed Tuesday’s loss, as did VJ Edgecombe (calf), Adem Bona (ankle) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee). George was initially listed as probable before getting downgraded to out, which raises questions about what exactly is going on with him health-wise.

“[George] reported soreness in the ankle after the game the other night,” Nurse told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s game. “Has not been in anything since then, and we’re just trying to keep following up on that and seeing where he is.” Nurse added that the Sixers are “in the process of checking to see what exactly is wrong and what the extent of it is.” Nothing to see here, move along!

Meanwhile, Nurse said Embiid practiced fully Monday and participated in at least part of shootaround on Tuesday, but “he’s just not quite there.” He was “trending toward” playing, which is why the Sixers originally listed him as questionable, but they decided to play it safe with him. It’s still unclear what’s causing his right knee soreness, but nothing to see here, move along!

Edgecombe has missed the past two games with a calf strain after averaging 37.3 minutes across his first 15 appearances. Nurse said it’s a “fair assumption” that the Sixers are being cautious with him because of the Achilles tears that both Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton suffered last season while trying to play through calf injuries. He did add there’s “nothing on the imaging, and it’s a calf strain, and he’s also improving as well,” although it’s unclear when to expect him back on the floor.

The Sixers have at least been transparent about Oubre, who suffered a sprained LCL in his left knee and is set to be re-evaluated next week, and Bona, who has missed the past five games with a right ankle sprain. Neither of those figure to be long-term issues, but their absences are compounding the strain being placed on the rest of the roster with Embiid and George sidelined.

Tyrese Maxey is currently leading the league in both minutes per game (39.9) and miles run per game (2.8). With stars across the NBA going down left and right with soft-tissue injuries—which Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr at least partially attributes to the increased pace of the game—the Sixers are playing with fire by overtaxing Maxey to this extent early on. He had a similar workload early last season before suffering a hamstring injury that sidelined him two weeks, which would effectively be a death knell for this iteration of the team.

The Sixers might need to lean even further on whatever depth they still have upright, as Trendon Watford suffered a non-contact injury against the Magic on Tuesday. He was later ruled out for the game with a left adductor strain. The Sixers revealed Wednesday that he’ll be out for at least the next two weeks. Justin Edwards also got banged up against Orlando, although he did later return to the game.

Perhaps some combination of Embiid, George, Oubre, Edgecombe and Bona will return soon and this concern-trolling will all be much ado about nothing. But even if Embiid and George are both back on Friday, their inconsistent appearances early in the year raise questions about how long either of them will stay on the floor before missing more time. Their absences have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster, particularly with a few other rotation players nursing injuries.

As LB’s Erin Grugan noted Wednesday, this is the downside of devoting two roster spots to Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry, neither of whom appear capable of scaling up into larger roles now that they’re in the twilight of their NBA careers. As is tradition under Daryl Morey, the Sixers also left their 15th roster spot open heading into the year to give themselves more in-season optionality. That will make it easier for them to convert Dominick Barlow or Jabari Walker from a two-way deal to a standard contract, but it also leaves them down one ambulatory body who could help steal a few minutes of rest for another rotation player.

If nothing else, at least we’ll always have the first few weeks of this season.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...nning-to-look-like-last-season-for-the-sixers

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

The Sixers have a major roster construction problem (again)

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Well, it’s Groundhog Day again. Or, at least, it certainly feels like it.

The Philadelphia 76ers suffered their worst defeat of the early season on Tuesday night in front of a home crowd, falling 144-103 to the Orlando Magic in an NBA Cup game. Honestly, the score makes it sound somehow closer than it actually was. It was just a massacre — a morally debilitating one, at that.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right knee), Paul George (ankle), VJ Edgecombe (calf soreness), Adem Bona (ankle), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee). They lost Trendon Watford to a left adductor strain that forced him to exit the contest in the second period.

It was ugly early and somehow only got uglier as the night went on. It was just one game, yes, but it was symptomatic of larger issues for the Sixers. With full quarters worth of slaughter to have to sit and watch, it was impossible to not ponder what got the team to this point. If you ask me, a large part of the problem is the construction of the roster itself — a familiar issue for the Sixers organization and Daryl Morey.

Now, we have to be realistic: in defense of the Sixers, there is probably not a team in the league that is prepared to play well or very efficiently with six rotation players unavailable. Having that many injuries hit at once is plainly unlucky, and not being ready to excel under those circumstances is totally fair.

However, I’d be willing to argue there are teams at least a bit more prepared than the Sixers are for when crap hits the fan — something this organization should be planning ahead for at this point.

The NBA allows teams 15 standard roster spots and three two-way slots. Two-way slots are occupied by players with four or fewer years of experience to split their time between the NBA and G League. They are limited to participating in a maximum of 50 NBA contests under such contracts. Let’s keep that in mind as we go through this.

The Sixers have two players, Joel Embiid and Paul George, on massive contracts with the basic knowledge that they will not be playing every game this season. In the case of Embiid, it would be considered pretty damn optimistic to expect for him to even play half of the games. Because of those contracts, though, there’s really nothing that could be done here, so let’s put them aside for now.

Kyle Lowry, now just four months removed from his 40th birthday, was widely assumed to be taking on more of a player-coach role when he was signed to come back to Philadelphia for his 20th season in the NBA. For the veteran leadership and coaching for the younger guys on the squad alone, his presence is certainly not a negative by any means.

I think most, however, might have assumed there would be at least a little bit of the “player” part of player-coach too! In Tuesday night’s slaughtering of the Sixers, Lowry never touched the floor. Down 40 points with Philadelphia down to it’s last few healthy legs, Lowry was never subbed in. Do I think Lowry playing would have at all changed the outcome to the game? No. Let me be very clear on that. However, I think it was the exact situation you would expect to see the veteran sub in and play a few minutes just to get the team to the final buzzer. Him not even taking the floor under those circumstances says to me that Lowry will not be playing really at all.

Another standard roster spot is occupied by Eric Gordon, another league veteran that is approaching his 37th birthday in December. Gordon has been used extremely sparsely so far and with widely varying results, mostly in the negative.

So, factoring in Lowry and Gordon leaves the Sixers with just 13 standard spots to field a sustainable team. Two of those spots are occupied by the unreliable availability of Embiid and George, which we touched on earlier. Down to 11 spots.

The Sixers also currently have an open roster spot. Yes, they have just 14 of 15 filled. Why would they do that, you might ask? Well, not filling that final roster spot means one less player contract hitting the cap, saving the team money and ultimately making it easier to duck the luxury tax at the trade deadline, something they also did last season. The organization could try to argue that leaving that spot open is in the interest of flexibility to eventually convert the two-way contract of Dominick Barlow or Jabari Walker to a standard one without having to make a corresponding cut somewhere. I would personally be a bit skeptical of that explanation, though, due in part to the Sixers making the effort to dodge the luxury tax last season and in part because I’d argue it’s undeniable that the worth of having someone available to play in that spot now would be worth more than any perceived future flexibility.

Regardless, the spot remains unfilled as of now… so we’re down to 10 spots — just two-thirds of the standard roster spots left to put a team on the floor with some consistency in what we all know is a long 82-game season. Is there any wonder why, prior to Oubre suffering his knee injury, the Sixers had three players in the top four for average minutes per night in the league? Tyrese Maxey (39.9 minutes/game) and VJ Edgecombe (37.3) are still first and second, respectively, in the Association in such category.

This is only going to compound to make the situation even worse. When you hamstring yourself to having just two-thirds of a roster worth of players to depend on to be available every night, you are going to have those guys playing a lot of minutes. The more minutes they play, the more likely they themselves will fall victim to issues that will affect their availability, hamstringing the team even further. It all builds on itself into the perfect (shit)storm.

This organization cannot completely blame bad luck or plead ignorance like they couldn’t have seen this coming. Not after last year. My personal beliefs going into this season for the Sixers organization were that they weren’t going to be necessarily contenders in any serious way, but instead truly needed to use the year to find a way to play sustainable basketball. It wasn’t likely going to always be stellar or title-contending ball, but it had to start to become sustainable basketball that could put up some resistance and resilience, even in the face of bad luck. You know, the opposite of last season.

Tuesday night felt like… well, last season. It was nearly impossible to deny that sick feeling of “damn, here we really go again.”

With this roster construction, though, maybe it’s what we should have expected all along.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...aryl-morey-nick-nurse-joel-embiid-paul-george

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers look to bounce back against Brooklyn Nets on the road

The Sixers are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Orlando Magic, getting blown out by 41 points on their own floor. The good news is that they now face arguably the worst team in the NBA this season, the Brooklyn Nets, which should give them a golden opportunity to get back in the win column and move past an absolute stinker. What could go wrong?

So, are the Nets really as bad as their 3-14 record suggests? In short, yes. Brooklyn brought in five first-round picks from the most recent draft, most of them late in the round. As you’d expect, they’re raw and still developing, and together they make up about a third of the roster. Beyond that group, the Nets don’t have much in the way of win-now talent.

Adding to those struggles, Michael Porter Jr. will be out for this matchup. Acquired in a trade with the Denver Nuggets, he’s been the lone bright spot in what’s shaping up to be a full rebuild. Through 16 games he’s posting career numbers across the board, averaging 24.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3 assists on 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent from three. He’s taking more shots than ever without a significant drop in efficiency. The other notable contributor is Nic Claxton— best known to Sixers fans as the draft pick involved in the Trevor Booker deal — who is coming off his first career triple-double.

Claxton is averaging 14.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field. Depending on who starts and who’s available, his speed and mobility could give the Sixers’ centers real problems.

Availability is once again a major talking point for the Sixers, and this matchup is no exception. Philadelphia has ruled out Joel Embiid (injury management), VJ Edgecombe (injury management), Kelly Oubre (knee sprain), and Trendon Watford (adductor strain). Paul George is questionable with an ankle sprain, while Adem Bona is expected to return and is listed as probable.

For Brooklyn, in addition to Porter, Haywood Highsmith and Cam Thomas are out. Ben Saraf is questionable with an ankle sprain.

There wasn’t much positive to take from the Sixers’ last game, aside from Jared McCain. He’s scored 15 points in each of the team’s last two outings and is starting to look more like the player we saw last season. He’ll try to keep that momentum going off the bench.

Beyond that, the goal for this game is straightforward: win convincingly and wash out the taste of the previous performance.

For those tracking offensive and defensive rankings, the Sixers’ offense has slipped to 15th in the league, while their defense sits at 19th. The Nets, meanwhile, have the sixth-worst offense and the league’s worst defense, ranking dead last at 30th.

It’s also worth noting that this is almost certainly the Sixers’ final NBA Cup game. On the bright side, the Nets’ alternate court is one of the best in the league, thanks to its mostly gray-black color scheme, so at least your eyes won’t suffer while watching.

As for the Sixers’ cup hopes, they’re essentially finished. They’re sitting at 0–3 with a brutal point differential of –51. Only Utah has been worse, posting a staggering –94.

The NBA Cup implications don’t really matter tonight, but the game itself does. The Sixers have been handed a perfect setup for a bounce-back performance: multiple days of rest and a matchup with one of the league’s worst teams. That should add up to a much-needed win, regardless of who’s in or out of the lineup. Now we’ll see if they can actually get things back on track.

Game Details

When: Tuesday, November 28, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...bounce-back-against-brooklyn-nets-on-the-road

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Philadelphia halts two-game slide with win over Nets

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 7
Andre Drummond – 2
VJ Edgecombe – 2
Dominick Barlow – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th Roster Spot – 1

---

When things are trending in the wrong direction, as they have been lately for the Philadelphia 76ers, it’s a perfect time to come across this year’s edition of the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers never trailed in Friday night’s contest, building a 21-point lead in the second quarter and maintaining a double-digit lead for the majority of the rest of the way in the 115-103 win. The only downside in the victory was yet another injury, with the Sixers losing Andre Drummond to a sprained knee. Let’s focus on the positives for now with Philadelphia staying above .500 and moving to 10-8, and move on to Bell Ringer.

Jared McCain: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals, 0 turnovers

With each passing game, McCain is looking more and more comfortable in his return, this time dropping a season-high 20 points to go along with a career-high five steals. He drained four triples, knocking down a couple spot-ups, doing a nice job relocating into open space, and even hitting a pull-up in transition. Jared looked spry in beating his defender off the dribble, and used quick hands to knock the ball away from opposing ballhandlers from behind. McCain talked about how much the knee brace originally bothered him, and he’s feeling less bothered by the new, smaller sleeve. Going forward, we may have transitioned back wondering if McCain is in enough of a rhythm to be seeing consistent minutes, to seeing him as a true difference maker once again.

Jared McCain hits his 4th triple of the night for his first 20-piece of the season! pic.twitter.com/rrQbwWjJGo

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

Tyrese Maxey: 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

The game in Brooklyn won’t make a ton of headlines like his dropping 54 points did last week, but Maxey was incredibly impactful in the win, having all eyes of the Nets upon him and facing plenty of traps. He handled the pressure with aplomb, making the right reads and taking care of the ball, as the 7:1 assist-to-turnover ratio would attest. Of course, he still got his own points on the board too, leading the team in scoring. Maxey went a perfect 6-of-6 from the foul line, and also continued to flash his improved left hand in the open court. It’s crazy that we’ve reached the point with Tyrese where he’s nearing a 20-point triple-double and it’s not even close to one of his most memorable performances of the season.

Tyrese Maxey reads the Nets like a book for the steal and slam pic.twitter.com/YRt7q0RrFp

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

Adem Bona: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 turnovers

With the Sixers’ depleted frontcourt further decimated by Drummond’s injury, the Sixers needed Bona to step up. When he wasn’t dealing with foul trouble, he played very well, even cashing his first career three-pointer in the closing minutes. Late-game outliers aside, Bona earned his bacon as he usually does, fighting on the offensive glass, finishing through traffic around the rim, and rejecting everything in sight on the defensive end. Adem skied for a block from the weak side to deny a Noah Clowney layup attempt, and stayed in front of a driving Terance Mann to send his shot in the other direction. We’ll see in the coming games whether Bona can keep the fouls to a minimum to ramp up the minutes workload.

Back-to-back-to-back Sixers buckets from Adem Bona! pic.twitter.com/XA17eT7JZ2

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...lphia-halts-two-game-slide-with-win-over-nets

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Shorthanded Sixers get more banged up, but take care of lowly Nets

The injury bug even bites hard in a much-needed win.

The Sixers snapped a two-game skid, taking down the Brooklyn Nets 115-103 Friday night. This also mercifully put an end to the Sixers 2025 Emirates NBA Cup play.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with a modest 22 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the floor with nine rebounds and seven assists. Jared McCain had his first 20-point game of the season, doing so on 7-of-16 shooting as well.

Paul George returned to shoot 6-of-10 from the floor to go for 14 points, three rebounds and two steals in 21:21 of play. Quentin Grimes had 19 points and nine assists. Egor Demin led all scorers with 23.

Andre Drummond left the game after suffering a knee sprain in the second quarter, adding to an injured list that also includes Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr., VJ Edgecombe and Trendon Watford.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• Neither team could buy a jumper to start the night, combining to go 4-of-15 from the field to open things up. It’s funny that Drummond has been the best three-point shooter from the backup center position. His 10 made threes aren’t just a career-best, but they lead the front-court so far (with one obvious availability asterisk).
• That remained the case from outside but both teams started getting to the basket easier. George’s first shift was his longest so far, playing over nine minutes. He got to the basket a couple times himself to start, and the three he buried just before subbing out was the team’s second of the night.

PG for 3! pic.twitter.com/2RU7HI1EwB

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

• Also making his return was Adem Bona after missing the last five with an ankle sprain. He didn’t get up to much early, save for some ball-pressure on Day’ron Sharpe that led to a Maxey pick-six. Jared McCain buried a corner three on a two-for-one opportunity, but his no-dip attempt the next time down the floor didn’t fall, so the Sixers had to settle for an eight-point lead after one.

Second Quarter​

• If there’s a team to do it against, it’s probably this one. Kyle Lowry got his first real minutes of the season, out there to start the quarter. There wasn’t much K-Lo needed to do with George taking care of things on both ends of the floor. The deflections he’s able to cause are a big help when he’s available, and his jumper continued to fall for him early.
• Bona was able to finish up a good shift himself despite picking up two unnecessary fouls. He scored six quick points finishing off dump offs and putbacks. As soon he was back though the front court took another blow. Drummond went down with an injury. It wasn’t quite clear on the replays if he hyperextended his knee or just banged it running into Lowry. He was in a lot of pain though and needed help going back to the locker room and was ruled out at halftime.

Back-to-back-to-back Sixers buckets from Adem Bona! pic.twitter.com/XA17eT7JZ2

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

• The scramble to replace Drummond became even more immediate when Bona picked up his third foul. Nick Nurse was already breaking out everything, giving Johni Broome a chance along with Jabari Walker. They picked up three fouls quickly as well, as had Dominick Barlow. The Sixers’ inability to stop fouling inside became Brooklyn’s only source of offens e— they shot 15 free throws in the quarter after taking one in the first. They trailed by as many points though, giving the Sixers a comfortable lead at the half.

Third Quarter​

• That issue persisted to start the second half with Barlow quickly picking up his fourth as well. The same nearly happened for Bona, but Nurse was able to get that one overturned with a challenge. It was a lingering problem, but one that wasn’t harming the Sixers’ lead. Maxey had a quick burst after not having to do nearly as much in the first half.

Tyrese Maxey hits from long range here early in the second half.

Sixers holding a comfortable (for now) lead over Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/lC5eOggGdb

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

• That changed in the third, as nearly seven minutes went by without a Sixer not named Maxey scoring. The Nets slowly and briefly were able to cut the lead to single digits. Grimes had looked fairly out of control for most of the night, but he strung together some solid drives that stopped the bleeding.
• To the point about Lowry earlier, it did not look like you could get away with playing Broome against this team. Even here he just looked too slow and small to get anything done. The front court situation remained precarious as Walker picked up his fourth and fifth fouls. The Nets also joined what is now a growing list of teams to bury heaves against them at the end of quarters as well. This time, it only cut the Sixers’ lead to 12.

Fourth Quarter​

• Something else that prevented the Sixers from pulling away was that they were just as cold from deep as Brooklyn. That Maxey three from the corner early in the third was the only three of their first nine attempts to fall in the second half.
• That helped Brooklyn hang around longer than anyone would have liked. Despite McCain chipping in the first time since early in the second, the Nets were again able to get the lead down to single digits. It was McCain though who made that brief when he hit the Sixers’ first three of the quarter.
• An open three by McCain was also hit coming right out of the immediate timeout. Shortly after, Bona hit his first three-pointer of his career. It was still much needed after Demin was single-handedly trying to give the Nets a miraculous comeback. Demin, like many, had a slow start but really got going once he saw a three go down.

Jared McCain hits his 4th triple of the night for his first 20-piece of the season! pic.twitter.com/rrQbwWjJGo

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) November 29, 2025

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...aul-george-jared-mccain-andre-drummond-injury

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers-Nets: Game Discussion Thread

Game Details​

When: Friday, November 28, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76ers-discussion-threads/81604/sixers-nets-game-discussion-thread-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers look to rebuild some momentum vs. Hawks, with fun matchups in store

The season has taken a turn for the worse since the opening couple of weeks in a typically Sixersy way, with more injuries, star absences, and losses. But they got themselves another victory on Friday after defeating the Nets, 115-103, in their latest NBA Cup game.

The Sixers never trailed. Adem Bona stepped up all around as Andre Drummond went down with a sprained knee, Tyrese Maxey was rock solid with a near triple-double as he faced most of Brooklyn’s defensive attention, and Jared McCain continued looking more dynamic and comfortable with a season-high 20 points and career-high five steals. Yes, the Nets may stink this season, but you’ve got to take what you can get for these depleted Sixers right now. At least this performance gives them slightly more positive vibes heading into their next contest, as they take on the 12-8 Atlanta Hawks.

The injury report is still long, though. For Sunday, Joel Embiid (right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) all remain out. However, Drummond is only listed as questionable, reassuring news that he could return soon even if it doesn’t happen against the Hawks. VJ Edgecombe (left calf injury management) has also been upgraded to questionable, and McCain is still available.

For the Hawks, the big name on the injury report is the continued absence of Trae Young, who’s due to be reevaluated soon but has been sidelined for the last month with a knee injury. Kristaps Porzingis also remains out with illness, meaning Onyeka Okongwu will be continuing as Atlanta’s starting center.

Okongwu may not have the track record of Porzingis’s scoring and three-point shooting, but he’s clearly developed this season. Okongwu has upped his scoring to 16.5 points per game and he’s jumped up to 4.8 three-point attempts a night, all while making them at a 41.3 percent clip. Even though it’s early days in the season, his comfort from range is good enough for him to even be coming off screens, popping beyond the arc, and utilizing a pretty neat (and quick) release.

Earlier this month he even made eight triples (yes, EIGHT) in a single game against the Jazz! Okongwu vs. Bona should make for a fun matchup.

The Hawks should give these shorthanded Sixers a challenge. Atlanta has put together a solid season so far, sitting fifth in the East, a 7-3 record over their last 10 games with middle-of-the-pack performance at both ends of the floor (15th in offensive rating and 13th in defense). And they’ve done it without Young.

Jalen Johnson in particular has stepped up to carry a larger load. He’s putting together an All-Star season with the way he’s upped his usage, showcased even more poise as playmaker, and simply done a bit of everything. Johnson’s just passed Young in all-time triple-doubles for the Hawks, and now boasts impressive averages of 21.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game with a terrific 63.0 true shooting percentage.

The Sixers could definitely use Paul George to help keep the 6-foot-8 Johnson in check with how well he’s driving, attacking the glass, and leading fast breaks right now. Watching how Dominick Barlow fares against Johnson whenever they’re matched up will be interesting to follow as well.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been key for the Hawks in Young’s absence, too. He’s stepped into the starting lineup to average 32.0 minutes a night and has scored 30+ twice in his last five outings, taking him to a major new career-high of 19.3 points per game. He’s firing away from three (6.8 attempts at a 36.1 percent clip), finishing pretty well in the paint, and staying more efficient than ever with a career-best 59.5 true shooting percentage. Maxey’s been defending well this year, so he and Quentin Grimes will need to focus their efforts on keeping Alexander-Walker in check.

If Maxey keeps cooking, McCain continues his steady improvement, and George has a good shooting night to go along with role players like Bona delivering again, maybe that can give the Sixers enough to beat this Hawks team. But it won’t be easy on Sunday night.

Game Details​

When: Sunday, November 30, 6:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...-momentum-vs-hawks-with-fun-matchups-in-store