Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, shorthanded Sixers fall to Knicks at home
PHILADELPHIA–The Philadelphia 76ers had a tall task on Friday when they hosted the New York Knicks. They already knew that they wouldn’t have James Harden as he will be out a month with the right foot tendon strain, but they didn’t have Joel Embiid either due to a non-COVID illness.
Therefore, a lot of pressure was placed on Tyrese Maxey to carry the load on the offensive end, and he did so in a big way on Friday. The third-year guard out of Kentucky dropped 31 points with seven assists, but it wasn’t enough as the shorthanded Sixers dropped this one to the Knicks 106-104 despite the strong effort.
Tobias Harris chipped in with 23 points and nine rebounds with four assists, De’Anthony Melton added 12 and nine assists with five rebounds, and Montrezl Harrell had 14 and seven rebounds in a start.
Here are the player grades following the tough loss at home:
Tyrese Maxey: A+
With no Harden and no Embiid in this one, the Sixers had to turn to Maxey to score more and take on more responsibility on the offensive end. It obviously makes the most sense considering his stature on the team and he gave offense early and often. Every time it looked like the Knicks were going to take a lead and have some control early, Maxey would answer back with a tough bucket. His play in the third quarter was sensational and his ability to take his game to the next level when the time calls for it is so impressive. He was terrific in this one despite missing the go-ahead triple late.
De'Anthony Melton: B
It was a slow start for Melton, but he gave a little bit of everything out on the floor. He was a pest on the defensive end and he made up for some of the lost playmaking with Harden. He was an optimistic scorer in this one and he took advantage of the few opportunities he received in that department. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he was able to contribute and help this team in so many different ways.
Tobias Harris: A+
Considering the circumstances, the Sixers needed Harris to bring his A-game on both ends of the floor and he did so in this one. Along with Maxey, it was time for Harris to step up and give more and he was focused early and often. He was knocking down his triples early, he was big on the glass, and he made a few plays with his passing. Harris is an underrated playmaker and with Harden out, the Sixers will have to rely on that aspect of his game a bit more. He was battling with Knicks star Julius Randle all night long.
PJ Tucker: C-
This was a bit of a struggle for Tucker as the Knicks offer a lot of tough, athletic big men who are much bigger down low. What he did do was battle all night and he set the tone for a physical Sixers team on the defensive end. However, he had a few corner triples that he wasn’t able to knock down. He has to make those in order to help on the offensive end of the floor.
Montrezl Harrell: A-
With Embiid out, Harrell drew his first start of the season and he had a nice hustle bucket early when he had a dunk off a steal from Tucker. He did have some issues on the defensive end of the floor, but that was the only real issue on this night for him. His struggles defensively were outweighed by his energy, his hustle on the glass, and his scoring on the offensive end.
Georges Niang: C-
The initial stint was tough for Niang. He missed an open triple and he then was called for a very questionable foul on an Obi Toppin dunk attempt. He did knock down two timely triples in the second half when the team needed it, though.
Shake Milton: C-
With the Sixers being so shorthanded, it would have been nice to get some more offense from Milton. He did have a hustle bucket off an offensive rebound, but he committed a couple of fouls early and he was taken out of rhythm. He did get two buckets after halftime, but his foul trouble played a factor and he was also out of sorts at times on both ends.
Matisse Thybulle: B-
The stud defender was very productive in his minutes. He was causing havoc to New York’s offense and he made a few nice offensive moves of his own. He attacked a closeout aggressively and finished with a nice, soft touch, and then he had a steal and a dunk on the other end.
Paul Reed: B-
The Sixers turned to Reed as the backup center with no other choice and he had a few nice moments defensively including causing a steal out on the perimeter. He needs to improve his offense, however, if he wants to earn more minutes. New York didn’t bother with him too much.
Furkan Korkmaz: C
In his first extensive minutes of the season, Korkmaz didn’t get much of an opportunity. He didn’t see the ball too often and he was just really running around on the defensive end. He gets points for knocking down a triple in the second half when Philadelphia needed a spark.
