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.
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.
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.