Tyrese Maxey admitted his final attempt in overtime “wasn’t clean” after the 76ers’ 125-124 loss to the Denver Nuggets. “I tripped over my foot and I tried to shoot it and I was falling,” he said.
The guard highlighted the challenge of adjusting to Denver’s rhythm. “It’s a little difficult… those are really good players over there. You still have to be able to reframe your mind and know what those guys are going to do and go out there and stop them,” Maxey explained.
Maxey said the game offered learning moments, especially in late-game execution. “The biggest thing I learned for regulation was… I wish VJ came a little bit earlier, set the screen so I had time to operate,” he said.
He praised VJ Edgecombe’s performance and shooting touch. “He’s a big-time player… we just know he’s good. He does a lot of winning plays, made a lot tonight,” Maxey said.
On expanding his scoring arsenal, Maxey noted work in the post. “A lot of work… I’m a stronger guard now, I could post people up,” he said. He added that this gives him more options to attack defenses.
Maxey also addressed maintaining focus during the grueling season. “Teams can go in two different directions right here… you can either make a push or lose a couple,” he said. “We just have to refocus and get back on our job.”
Defensively, Maxey remains active. “Maybe teams are being more careful, but I had four steals tonight. I’m just trying to read and make plays on the defensive end,” he said.
Reflecting on late-game opportunities, Maxey emphasized communication and learning. “We’ve done a pretty good job in close games this year… I got a good look at it, I could have done a better job explaining what I wanted to happen,” he said.
Finally, Maxey praised recent rotations with Joel Embiid and Adem Bona. “Bona does a good job of flying around, making defensive plays and offensive rebounds. I like that lineup,” he said.
Philadelphia will return home to host Washington, while Denver travels to Boston.
