First time All-Star Tyrese Maxey scores career high 51 points in Philadelphia 76ers down to the wire win against Utah Jazz

Friday, 02 February 2024 at 07:05

What a day for the young superstar Tyrese Maxey. From getting selected to his first All-Star game to having his best game as a pro, the 23-year-old was all smiles when he spoke with Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley postgame. In this wire-to-wire game between 2 struggling teams, the 4th year guard put on a show in the 76ers 127-124 victory over the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center.

Despite the amazing night for Maxey, the Philadelphia 76ers received terrible news Thursday afternoon, as it was announced that reigning MVP Joel Embiid suffered an injury to the lateral meniscus, per Adrian Wojnarowski. It has been reported that the team will take more time over the next few days to further evaluate this injury, but it does not sound good for the dominant big man. The 7-time All-Star was having a historic season and was on his way to potentially winning back-to-back MVPs with averages of 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. This is a devastating blow to the whole organization and now the team will lean on first time All-Star Tyrese Maxey to lead the squad moving forward.

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The lead guard showed the world why he deserves to play in the big game in Indiana, as he scored a career-high 51 points on 63% shooting with 7 made three pointers. He was spectacular and there was nothing that Utah could do to stop him. Tobias Harris had a monster night as well, recording 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists on 62% shooting. Kelly Oubre had an all-around night, recording 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks.

Lauri Markkanen led the way for the Jazz, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal on 67% shooting. Collin Sexton had a great game, ending with 22 points and 6 assists while John Collins contributed 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Jordan Clarkson was a spark off the bench, scoring 16 points while dishing out 10 assists.

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This win improves the 76ers to 30-17 on the season, which makes them 5th in the Eastern Conference and 0.5 games behind the 4th seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. This win snapped a 4-game losing streak, and Philly will look to build off this victory on Saturday night when they play against the Brooklyn Nets.

On the other hand, this loss drops the Jazz to 24-26, making them 10th in the Western Conference. They are now 1 game behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the 9th seed and only hold a 0.5 game lead above the Houston Rockets for the 10th seed. Utah is on a 3-game losing streak and will look to turn things around on Sunday night when they face off against the Milwaukee Bucks.