The Philadelphia 76ers have a few issues they need to work out heading into Game 7 of the second-round series with the Atlanta Hawks. One of those things is Ben Simmons and his free-throw shooting.
He split his two attempts at the line in the fourth quarter in Friday’s Game 6 win when the Hawks went to the Hack-a-Ben strategy. He was taken off the floor to prevent Atlanta from employing what it wanted to do. The Sixers then produced enough offense to close the game when they needed to.
One solution coach Doc Rivers has on his mind is having Tyrese Maxey on the floor with Simmons. That way, they can have their ball-handler on the floor without him getting intentionally fouled.
“We’re going to need him on the floor with Ben because we needed the ball-handler,” said Rivers after the win. “If Ben brings it up, they foul. They would foul even under two because he would have the ball. So by putting it in Tyrese’s hands and making Ben a picker, it allowed him to stay on the floor and allowed us to still run our offense so it worked out for us.”
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For a 20-year old rookie, Maxey was very impressive in Friday’s win. He was not afraid of the moment in a big road playoff game. He hopped off the bench and produced 16 points and seven rebounds.
“Preparation prevents poor performance,” said Maxey. “My dad told me that when I was like in second grade, and I’ll never forget it. Which is why I was in the gym every single day, every day. No days off, same thing tomorrow. Once you prepare properly, you build your own confidence. I think that’s how you really become successful.”
Now, Maxey will have to carry this into Game 7 on Sunday as he once again enters a huge moment in his rookie season. He battled through a do-or-die Game 6 on the road, and he performed well. But Game 7 is a different story.
“Tonight (Friday) was the first Game 6 of my career,” said the rookie. “We haven’t done anything yet. We have one goal and that’s to advance so I’m just ready for the Game 7, and I can’t wait to get back in front of our fans and take care of business.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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