PHILADELPHIA — In the 2020 bubble, former Philadelphia 76ers forward Mike Muscala was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the 2019-20 season was not the most memorable for the Sixers, the shots Muscala made in the bubble have turned into some of the biggest for the franchise.
Muscala made two big 3-pointers down the stretch to help the Thunder knock off the Miami Heat, 116-115. That win officially conveyed the pick the Thunder owed to the Sixers. Philadelphia then used the 21st pick to select Tyrese Maxey.
If it wasn’t for those Muscala shots, Maxey wouldn’t be in Philadelphia.
After dropping a career-high 50 points in a 137-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Maxey gave a shoutout to Muscala for allowing him to be in Philadelphia.
“I hear it so often,” Maxey laughed. “Bub (team security) reminds me at least twice a month. I’ve seen it and it’s great. That’s cool. I mean, that’s just ironic, I guess. Shoutout to Mike. I like being here.”
Maxey shot 20-for-32 on the night and 7-for-11 from deep. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. He reached 50 points when he drilled a step-back 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining.
“I think Joel (Embiid) wanted me to get 50 more than I think myself did,” laughed Maxey. “He grabbed the ball and he was like ‘You are going to shoot this basketball’ so I just appreciate my teammates, man. I appreciate my teammates, I appreciate the fans, I appreciate the coaching staff. It was a great night. We got the win so that’s what matters the most.”
For Sixers fans, Muscala’s shots matter the most as they brought Maxey to Philadelphia.
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