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The Sixers are 2-0 at full strength in 2025-26, as they notched a critical Eastern Conference victory on Friday night.
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Adam Aaronson
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Tag: tyrese maxey
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Instant observations: Sixers fall to short-handed Nuggets in overtime, marking worst loss of season
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The Sixers missed a prime opportunity to bank a stress-free victory on Monday night.
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Adam Aaronson
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Instant observations: Sixers win a battle of elite guards in second consecutive emphatic Madison Square Garden victory
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Whatever you do, do not look now. But… the Sixers are playing like an awfully good team right now. They have won three games in a row.
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Adam Aaronson
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Observations after Edgecombe sinks game-winning 3-pointer, Sixers beat Grizzlies in OT
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VJ Edgecombe’s clutch exploits came on the road with the Sixers.
The rookie buried the second game-winner of his career Tuesday night in Memphis. The Grizzlies hard hedged Tyrese Maxey on the perimeter and he dished to Edgecombe, who nailed a go-ahead three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in overtime. Cedric Coward’s miss at the final buzzer cemented a 139-136 Sixers win.
With their first victory of a five-game road trip, the Sixers moved to 17-14 and snapped a three-game losing streak. They’ll play the Mavs on Thursday night.
Memphis dropped to 15-17. Ja Morant starred for the Grizzlies with 40 points and Coward posted 28 points and 16 rebounds.
The Sixers got 34 points, 10 rebounds and a season-high eight assists from Joel Embiid.
Maxey had 34 points and 12 assists. Edgecombe added 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals.
The Sixers’ two injury absences were Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain). According to a team official, both players are continuing to progress and started to be “reintegrated into team activities” at Monday’s practice.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ dramatic OT win Tuesday:
Déjà vu at the start
Edgecombe swished a three-pointer for his team’s first basket. Outside of that, there was little to like early on for the Sixers.
Memphis jumped in front and took a 17-7 lead on Coward’s corner three. The Thunder had opened 9 for 9 from the floor Sunday in their blowout win over the Sixers. Two days later, the Grizzlies started 7 for 8.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout. Though the Sixers certainly did not snap into lockdown defense mode, they at least stabilized the situation overall.
Maxey had a second straight outstanding start highlighted by near-perfect shooting. The 25-year-old scored a dozen points in both the first and second quarters. His only first-half miss was a tightly guarded three on the Sixers’ final possession of the first quarter.
Maxey-Embiid duo flowing
Embiid committed two fouls in under seven minutes. Edgecombe picked up his third peronal at the 9:26 mark of the second quarter and sat out the rest of the first half.
The Sixers still earned their first lead with Maxey sitting early in the second quarter. Embiid drilled a top-of-the-key three and had success on multiple occasions when he popped off of double drag actions. A Jared McCain fast-break layup put the Sixers up 47-46.
The Maxey-Embiid two-man game was brilliant once the Sixers’ superstar guard checked back in. The duo diced up Memphis’ defense with pick-and-pops, dribble handoffs and heaps of individual talent. The Embiid-Maxey pair posted 43 points in the first half on just 23 field goal attempts and eight assists.
Nurse played a big frontcourt of Embiid and Adem Bona late in the second quarter. Largely thanks to Embiid’s defense, the Sixers fared well. The Sixers forced a flurry of turnovers and Embiid had a bright, energetic defensive stretch with two blocks and a steal. Bona did all the dirty work and chipped in four points, six rebounds, two blocks and two assists. He was deservedly the Sixers’ lone backup center and Andre Drummond stayed on the bench.
On top of the production, Embiid’s mobility and minutes were encouraging. He logged a season-high 38 minutes in Memphis.
Maxey capped the first half with a fantastic play when he somehow hit a leaning, double-pump three with 1.1 seconds left in the second quarter. He looked amazed by his own work.
Maxey made his 800th career three-pointer Tuesday (he’s currently at 802). Allen Iverson is first in Sixers history with 885.
Edgecombe saves the day
The Grizzlies scored the first six points of the second half and the Sixers appeared on their way to more third-quarter misery. Coward and Jaylen Wells drained threes against the Sixers’ zone defense to give Memphis a 90-81 lead.
The Sixers replied with a much-needed run.
Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes each turned steals into fast-break baskets. The Sixers had a major turnovers advantage (20-9) on Tuesday night.
They took a slim lead into the fourth quarter, but Morant had a hot start to the final frame. After making a mid-range jumper on McCain, he got Bona on a switch and then drove in for a tough one-one layup with his left hand.
While Edgecombe did not shoot especially well for much of the night, he came through with tons of timely plays in the fourth quarter and OT. Paul George converted a cutting layup and Edgecombe sunk two threes in a row. The Sixers led by seven points with a little over four minutes on the clock. Edgecombe had a 13-point fourth period.
The Sixers struggled to stamp a win, failing to find a decisive basket. Embiid committed his fifth foul on an illegal screen, Maxey missed a mid-range jumper, and Morant made a game-tying floater.
Memphis had a chance to win on the final play of regulation but couldn’t capitalize. Grimes and Embiid swarmed Morant. Wells and Santi Aldama both missed go-ahead three-point attempts.
Eventually, the Sixers’ stars saw a few shots drop again in OT. Maxey made a driving lay-in through contact and Embiid hit two mid-range hoops.
Morant jetted past Edgecombe and laid the ball in with 18.3 seconds to go in overtime, tying the game up once more.
As has become his habit in the NBA, Edgecombe shook the play off and saved the day.
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Observations after Sixers get blown out by defending champs, OKC pulls away in 2nd half
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The Sixers could not put together two competitive halves Sunday afternoon against the defending champions.
The Thunder pulled away at Paycom Center to earn a 129-104 win and improve to 27-5 on the season. The Sixers fell to 16-14.
Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and five assists.
OKC’s leading scorers were Chet Holmgren with 29 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 27.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right ankle sprain and right knee injury management), Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain).
The third stop on the Sixers’ five-game road trip is Memphis, where they’ll play the Grizzlies on Tuesday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Thunder:
Thunder scorching from the start
Oklahoma City made its first nine field goals.
The Sixers’ defense was not at its finest and the Thunder’s offensive execution was razor-sharp after two straight losses to the Spurs. Jalen Williams beat Paul George on a backdoor cut and laid the ball in. Holmgren scored twice over Dominick Barlow in the post and jammed in an unguarded fast-break dunk.
In his first career game against the Thunder, VJ Edgecombe defended the reigning MVP. He had a solid start against Gilgeous-Alexander, ceding no cheap fouls, but OKC’s superstar guard is essentially impossible to shut down. Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored over 20 points in 103 consecutive games. The longest streak in NBA history is Wilt Chamberlain’s 126 straight games.
OKC did commit seven turnovers in the first quarter and the Sixers avoided any immediate blowout concerns. A Quentin Grimes three-pointer late in the first gave the Sixers their first lead at 25-24.
Maxey back on his A-game in first half
Maxey scored nine points in the first few minutes, including a soft scoop shot and a deep jumper.
He never cooled off in the first half and continued to drive effectively into the heart of the Thunder’s defense. Maxey began 6 for for 6 from the floor and posted 15 of the Sixers’ 29 points in the opening period. He only missed two field goals in the first half on his way to 23 points.
While there was nothing lucky about Maxey’s shotmaking in Oklahoma City, he was also due for some kind bounces. He’d had subpar shooting nights in the Sixers’ losses to the Nets and Bulls, going 31.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range over those two games.
The Sixers’ offense relied on Maxey, although the team’s bench did provide much better production than in Friday’s defeat to Chicago.
Adem Bona had eight points, two blocks and two rebounds in an extended first stint. Justin Edwards knocked down a three as soon as he touched the ball. Jared McCain leaked out ahead of the pack for a layup and Edwards then sunk his third triple of the second quarter to put the Sixers up 58-57. They trailed by two points at intermission.
Best vs. worst in third quarter
OKC’s defense focused more on bothering Maxey after halftime and he didn’t score in the second half until a technical free throw with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Unsurprisingly, Maxey’s lack of scoring coincided with the Thunder’s lead growing. Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving layup capped an 11-0 run and built OKC’s advantage to 86-73.
Neither Edgecombe (10 points on 3-for-16 shooting) nor George (12 points on 4-for-11 shooting) had the sort of efficient performances necessary to pick up Maxey’s slack after halftime.
The Sixers moved to a zone defense late in the third quarter. They weren’t able to stick with it for long, since the Thunder dissected the zone very well. OKC passed 100 points before the end of the third and the NBA’s worst third-quarter team thus far (minus-21.4 net rating entering Sunday) lost the frame by 14 points.
It just so happens that Oklahoma City is the league’s best third-quarter team. For the Sixers, Sunday’s fourth quarter was soon a hopeless cause.
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Philly sports’ top 10 figures of 2025
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Instant observations: Tyrese Maxey’s superstar surge resumes without Joel Embiid, Sixers nab clutch win over Knicks
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When the Sixers and Knicks face off at Madison Square Garden, chaos and intensity typically ensue. That was no different on Friday night.
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Adam Aaronson
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The Sixers’ Biggest Problem That the Box Score Can’t Explain – Philadelphia Sports Nation
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Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Third-Quarter Woes and Late-Game Struggles
Another heartbreaking loss for the Philadelphia 76ers, this time a 120-117 thriller against the Atlanta Hawks on December 14, 2025, left fans reeling from familiar frustrations. A controversial missed backcourt violation in the closing moments sealed the defeat, but the issues run deeper than one call. As of December 17, 2025, the Sixers sit at 14-11, a respectable record on paper with a potent offense ranking among the league’s top 10 in points per game. Yet, subtle flaws continue to undermine this talented roster, problems that don’t always show up in the stat sheet.
Early in the season, third-quarter collapses plagued Philadelphia, with the team routinely outscored coming out of halftime. Adjustments seemed to pay off recently—they won the third quarter in their victory over the Indiana Pacers—but lapses persist. Defensive miscues, struggles to control the pace, and late-game execution have cost them in tight contests. The recent Hawks game highlighted over-reliance on hero ball down the stretch, even as Paul George erupted for a season-high 35 points on efficient 11-of-21 shooting, including 7-of-10 from three.
What’s holding back the Sixers?
Integrating Joel Embiid and Paul George back into the lineup has been a process. Both stars are flashing vintage form: Embiid dropped a season-high 39 points against the Pacers, while George has looked increasingly explosive. But health remains a concern. Tyrese Maxey missed the Hawks game with an illness, and Kelly Oubre Jr. continues recovering from a knee issue, though he’s progressing with on-court activities. Depth players like Trendon Watford are also working back, thinning the rotation at times.
On the surface, the Sixers look fine—loaded with talent, high-scoring, and rebounding well. Their young core, including standout rookie VJ Edgecombe, adds athleticism and potential. But chemistry is still building around Embiid, George, and Maxey. Roles are being defined, and the transition from individual brilliance to cohesive team play takes time, especially with a mix of veterans and youth.
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Late-game decision-making stands out as a recurring culprit.
Too often, the offense devolves into isolation plays that work in spurts but falter when opponents clamp down. Defensively, rotations lag, and pace control slips, allowing runs that flip momentum. These intangibles—execution under pressure, defensive communication, and halftime adjustments—are the hidden drags on this team’s ceiling.
The good news? The pieces are there for a deep playoff run.
Embiid and George are turning back the clock with high-level performances, and as health stabilizes, the Sixers should climb the Eastern Conference standings. If they iron out third-quarter woes, sharpen late-game poise, and let chemistry gel, this group has championship upside.
It’s been a rollercoaster start—ups highlighted by dominant wins, downs marked by agonizing close losses. The talent is undeniable; now it’s about clarity and consistency. With the core intact and emerging youth contributing, Philadelphia has everything needed for a strong second half and a legitimate playoff push.
Trust the process—again—but this time, the payoff feels closer than ever.
Categorized: Sixers
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Jake Mayson
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Joel Embiid questionable, Tyrese Maxey doubtful for Sixers-Hawks on Sunday
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Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) is questionable to play when the Sixers face the Hawks in Atlanta on Sunday night, according to the team’s initial injury report for the game unveiled on Saturday afternoon, which also lists Tyrese Maxey as doubtful due to the illness responsible for him missing the team’s win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday:
The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow’s game @ Atlanta:
Joel Embiid – left knee – QUESTIONABLE
Tyrese Maxey – illness – DOUBTFUL
Kelly Oubre Jr. – left knee – OUT
Trendon Watford – left adductor – OUT
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) December 13, 2025
Embiid, who has yet to appear in two games during any three-day span during the season, said he felt “great” after posting his strongest performance of the season to lead the Sixers to victory on Friday night, intimating he was eager to play again on Sunday. However, Embiid acknowledged that to this point the team’s plan to manage his left knee has included multiple days off in between all games. With four-day layoffs before and after this potential first try at playing two games in three nights, perhaps the Sixers feel the time is right to give it a shot.
Maxey was not in attendance as Embiid, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe led the Sixers to their 14th victory of the season; he went from probable to questionable to out due to an illness. It was Maxey’s first absence of the season. It is unclear whether or not he traveled with the team to Atlanta on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Sixers remain past due on substantive updates about the statuses of Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee), who has been sidelined for a month, and Trendon Watford (adductor), whose absence has lasted multiple weeks. The latest information on both is that, according to Sixers head coach Nick Nurse on Thursday, neither player is doing live on-court work, only individual activity.
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Adam Aaronson
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Instant observations: As he leads Sixers to overtime road win against Bucks, Tyrese Maxey sure looks like a superstar
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Tyrese Maxey’s sixth NBA season is quickly becoming historic.
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Adam Aaronson
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Sunday stats: Quentin Grimes’ turnover troubles, Justin Edwards’ growing confidence and Kelly Oubre Jr.’s value
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While the Sixers’ 7-5 record is a relatively positive outcome given the lack of certainty surrounding the team, their problematic health and the memory of their miserable start to a nightmarish 24-58 campaign last season, it is also representative of some missed opportunities.
Of the Sixers’ five losses, a few of them – including Friday’s defeat at the hands of a depleted Detroit Pistons team – have been avoidable. That the Sixers can withstand some injuries, bungle some games and still see plenty of reasons for optimism is a testament to how much more pleasant everything has been this season.
However, there are some real causes for concern, both in terms of recent play and looking ahead. This is a very flawed team, even if it is one much closer to being good in a normal capacity than anybody expected it to be.
A look at some of the good and some of the bad in this week’s edition of Sunday stats:
100
The percentage of Quentin Grimes’ appearances in which he has recorded multiple turnovers.
Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe have tag-teamed backup point guard duties when Tyrese Maxey has been off the floor this year; the level of success accomplished in those minutes has been difficult to quantify. Twice the Sixers have overcome relatively poor Maxey outings by winning his rest minutes, but on the whole they have been shredded with the sixth-year star guard off the floor.
While both Grimes and Edgecombe have more than enough chops to handle some ball-handling duties in an NBA rotation, neither one is a true primary creator. With Edgecombe in a particularly tough slump of late, more responsibility has befallen the 25-year-old Grimes, whose optimal role is likely as a secondary option on the perimeter and a tertiary option overall. Grimes gets to fill that role when sharing the floor with Maxey and Embiid, but because Embiid has missed six of the team’s 12 games and no other competent ball-handlers exist on the roster outside of Edgecombe, Grimes has rarely gotten the chance to be utilized in an ideal fashion.
A player having the ball a decent bit racking up turnovers is not breaking news, but Grimes’ issues with ball security have been pretty pronounced for the last few weeks:
Game Quentin Grimes turnovers Oct. 22 @ BOS 5 Oct. 25 vs. CHA 2 Oct. 27 vs. ORL 2 Oct. 28 @ WAS 2 Oct. 31 vs. BOS 3 Nov. 2 @ BKN 4 Nov. 4 @ CHI 4 Nov. 5 @ CLE 4 Nov. 8 vs. TOR 3 Nov. 9 vs. DET 3 Nov. 11 vs. BOS 4 Nov. 14 @ DET 2 On Friday, Grimes was not the lone bad actor in the Sixers’ disastrous 15-point fourth quarter, but he certainly did not help them stay afloat:
Quentin Grimes had a pair of costly turnovers during the fourth quarter of the Sixers’ loss on Friday; the second one exasperated Tyrese Maxey: pic.twitter.com/WUV3pPpxfS
— Adam Aaronson’s clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 16, 2025
It is not that Grimes should be used as an off-ball role player, on this team or any other. But in a perfect world, the blossoming skill he showed with the ball in his hands during the final two months of last season would be treated as a luxury more than a necessity. On this Sixers team, Jared McCain’s troubles have forced Grimes into being an essential piece of any path to piecing together 48 viable minutes at point guard. It is not the best way to use Grimes, who has largely been very good in his first full season with the Sixers but quietly could be one of the most significant beneficiaries of McCain eventually getting right, even if it cuts into his minutes.
MORE: Jared McCain makes progress with Blue Coats: ‘I’m getting there’
12.0
Justin Edwards’ three-point attempts per 100 possessions.
When a player shoots 8-for-9 from the field and 5-for-6 from three-point range on national television to swing a game against a rival in front of his hometown crowd, it to be expected that their confidence will skyrocket. Justin Edwards had looked jarringly timid to begin his second NBA season, but his signature performance last week might have unlocked something.
During his rookie campaign, what made Edwards such a tantalizing prospect and a player head coach Nick Nurse rapidly grew so fond of was his ability to make quick decisions. Self-awareness is a tremendous skill, and Edwards immediately understood that he was not a player who should be dribbling a whole lot. When the ball swung his way, any decision – a shot, a swing pass or a drive – was made instantaneously, and more often than not Edwards was making prudent judgments as well.
Early on this year, Edwards was in his head. It was clear when watching him hesitate on spot-up threes, fail to drive with force or get caught in between two different ideas and turning the ball over. But after Tuesday’s eruption against the Celtics, Edwards shot another six triples on Friday night in Detroit, connecting on three of them. Edwards’ season-long three-point shooting numbers suddenly look stellar, but actually watching the shots he took against the Pistons shows a massive difference from where he was just a week or so ago:
After making five of his six three-point attempts in a career night vs. Boston on Tuesday, Justin Edwards looked particularly confident shooting spot-up threes quickly in Friday’s loss @ Detroit: pic.twitter.com/4rOX0ECuvX
— Adam Aaronson’s clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 16, 2025
After what happened at the end of the first half of Friday’s game, Edwards continuing to find his best self will be all the more important…
MORE: Edwards stays ready, and ‘the work shows’ with late-game heroics vs. Celtics
36.7
Kelly Oubre Jr.’s minutes per game in 2025-26 before leaving Friday’s game early with a left knee hyperextension.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has been an incredibly consistent piece for the Sixers this year; after a so-so performance on opening night he strung together eight consecutive quality outings before falling into a mini-slump of sorts. His constant availability and effort have been extraordinary; Oubre cares deeply about starting and had earned every bit of a job many suspected he would lose early in the season.
Kelly Oubre Jr. continues to set the tone for the Sixers defensively while providing three-level scoring. Oubre’s full highlights from Tuesday’s game in Chicago (18 points, 7-11 FG, 2 steals, 2 blocks): pic.twitter.com/h71g7gCJot
— Adam Aaronson’s clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 5, 2025
The Sixers will have an injury report for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers by Sunday evening, but left knee hyperextensions are typically not injuries players can suffer without missing any time:
Kelly Oubre Jr. will not return tonight vs. Pistons with a left knee hyperextension.
Looks like this is where it might have happened. You can see Oubre’s left leg plant awkwardly and he was in some pain right after. pic.twitter.com/KfSuaYLz43
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 15, 2025
If Oubre does miss time, first of all, Paul George getting back on the floor would be particularly helpful. The slow nature of the nine-time All-Star’s return to game action has been painstaking for many Sixers fans, even as the team acknowledges that George is in the final steps of his recovery.
Elsewhere, Edwards becomes especially important as someone whose defensive range is similar to that of Oubre’s. Edwards is a wing by trade, but Nurse likes putting him on guards and asking the 21-year-old to chase them around. Grimes sliding up to small forward in three-guard lineups alongside Maxey and Edgecombe even more often is the most obvious solution, but the aforementioned issue of their nonexistent guard depth behind those three would be exacerbated. Another option: Eric Gordon, who has rarely been used this season but remains the ultimate floor spacer and has Nurse’s trust guarding above his size.
MORE: Sixers falter offensively late, drop winnable NBA Cup game @ depleted Pistons
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Adam Aaronson
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The Sixers Of Old. Winning Alongside the Sixers Of New – Philadelphia Sports Nation
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On Tuesday night — with Paul George not yet in the lineup and Joel Embiid existing in the first half with a knee injury — the younger generation of 76ers helped to power Philadelphia (7–4) to a 102–100 win at the buzzer and second place in the Atlantic Division.
The Sixers were led by thunderous performances by Tyrese Maxey with 21 points, Justin Edwards with 22, Quentin Grimes with 18, Anthony Drummond with fourteen points accompanied by 13 rebounds. The Sixers trailed 90–82 with 6:46 left in the final period — when Edwards helped to cut the led with a pair of three-pointers. With just over 2:00 minutes left — VG Edgecombe nailed a three pointer to put the Sixers up 100–96. Kelly Oubre then scored the winning bucket with just under nine seconds left to secure the win.
The Sixers also had the good news after the win with some additional good news as it appears that Joel Embiid has avoided a major knee injury as the team prepares for the return of Paul George.
Next up — Detroit on Friday night. Not the Lions, mind you — the Pistons.
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Michael Thomas Leibrandt
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