Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse lauded Tyrese Maxey’s performance after the guard scored a career-high 54 points to lead the team to a 123-114 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday at Fiserv Forum. Nurse emphasized Maxey’s all-around impact, noting his scoring, defense, and energy in logging over 46 minutes.
“I thought the body language and everything was really good this afternoon…PG gives us a big lift. That’s so important to raise everybody’s level of energy,” Nurse said, highlighting Paul George’s stabilizing presence alongside Maxey’s scoring outburst.
Maxey’s offensive output stood out, particularly in the fourth quarter and overtime, where he scored 22 points. “You always told him you got to attack. He did that and 54 points tonight. A lot of that win came from him,” Nurse said, noting Maxey’s ability to remain aggressive after logging heavy minutes in consecutive games.
Nurse also discussed the tactical approach to keep Maxey effective, mentioning the balance of three-point shooting, drives, and floaters. “Playing on top, playing along the baseline, just moving him around to not make it too predictable,” he explained. Maxey’s defensive contributions and tenacity were equally vital, according to Nurse.
Justin Edwards received praise for his defensive intensity, especially in the first quarter. “He’s going to try on every possession. He’s a really good shooter… made one when it counted,” Nurse said, highlighting his commitment on both ends of the court despite limited scoring.
Despite the team’s victory, Nurse acknowledged challenges with shooting consistency. “We go through some pretty heavy shooting slumps…we didn’t hit them for a stretch, so the game went up and down a little bit, but obviously we hung in there,” he said, emphasizing the team’s resilience under pressure.
The 76ers overcame the continued absence of Joel Embiid, who missed his sixth straight game with a right knee injury. Philadelphia shot 43% from the field and 34% from three-point range, while holding a 52-42 advantage on the boards, ultimately snapping a brief two-game losing skid to improve to 9-6.
For Milwaukee, Ryan Rollins scored a career-high 32 points with 14 assists, but the Bucks fell to 8-8 after losing four of their last five games. Nurse credited Maxey’s adaptability and leadership as the driving force behind Philadelphia’s win, noting the guard’s confidence and preparation set the tone for the team.
Philadelphia will host the Miami Heat on Sunday, relying on Maxey’s scoring prowess and the leadership of George to navigate Embiid’s absence, while Milwaukee returns home to face the Detroit Pistons.
