The Philadelphia 76ers are enduring a difficult stretch without Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle, who are in the league’s health and safety protocol.
Shortly before Tuesday’s matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Sixers learned Seth Curry would miss the game with a left foot contusion. That put even more pressure on younger guys such as Tyrese Maxey and Paul Reed to produce.
Maxey stepped up in a big way, scoring 17 points in the opening quarter and finishing with 31. He knocked down four 3s against elite defender Jrue Holiday and the defending champions. Such an experience should help Maxey continue to develop.
“I’ve always said since I was coming out of high school that Jrue Holiday was one of the guys I was trying to model my game after,” said Maxey. “He’s a two-way player, he plays both ends of the basketball court, extremely competitive defensively and extremely skilled offensively, and it was crazy going up against him. I think during my draft process I was telling everybody that I compare myself to Jrue Holiday. So to actually play against him, it was kind of cool.”
While Maxey went up against Holiday, Reed battled Giannis Antetokounmpo and held his own. Those are NBA champions they went up against and, hopefully, learned from.
“Especially when you get guys minutes that builds their confidence,” Maxey added. “When you get game reps. Paul Reed today. I think he had a play on Giannis that I thought was spectacular. That I hadn’t seen a lot of guys make in this league. I saw Giannis come downhill and Paul Reed rolls up and blocks it off the glass.”
Performances like that will help the younger guys. Once Embiid and the other primary pieces return, the younger guys will go back to their original roles while being able to provide a boost when the time calls for it because they will be more prepared.
“Stuff like that, that’s what carries on,” Maxey finished. “You remember games like this when you have Tobias and Joel and Matisse and Isaiah, guys out. Seth Curry and guys out and you’re still able to try and find success. No moral victories, we wanted to win the game, but it’s good to see guys play well.”
The Sixers face the Toronto Raptors on Thursday to wrap up their three-game homestand before hitting the road for six games.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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