Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse praised his team’s ball movement, LeBron James’ playmaking and Tyrese Maxey’s fourth-quarter performance after Monday’s 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls.
The 76ers recorded 23 assists on their first 25 made baskets, with James finishing with 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Maxey scored a game-high 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, as Philadelphia improved to 7-1 and extended its winning streak to four games.
“Offense is a lot about hitting the open man,” Nurse said. “If you’ve gotten some type of advantage where they need to send some help, you’ve done your job, and now you got to deliver the next pass.”
Nurse was particularly impressed with James’ ability to read the floor and find teammates with long passes.
“He’s got incredible vision,” Nurse said. “Some of those ones that he’s making down the left lanes, zipping out to the right corner are big-time passes.”
He added: “He’s got a good feel and sense of where people are and what the spacing looks like and how to make reads. It’s really, really fun to watch.”
Nurse also discussed the team’s atmosphere and James’ enjoyment of the game in his 24th NBA season.
“He loves the game,” Nurse said. “It’s a group of guys, like I keep saying, that have been super focused and the intent of playing the right way. And I think he’s a big part of that.”
On Jaylen Brown’s fit with Philadelphia, Nurse said: “The dude is tough and he wins, and, man, I’ll take that all day long.”
He praised Brown’s difficult shot-making, rebounding and contribution to winning plays. Brown finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Nurse also highlighted Maxey’s growing confidence and decision-making in the fourth quarter.
“I feel like he feels so much more of a confident guy,” Nurse said. “He just started making some great reads. I thought he drove when he should. I thought he got off it when he should.”
The coach added: “In an incredibly humble way, he just seems like he knows he’s really good. And he should, because he is really good.”
Maxey’s fourth-quarter production came after a relatively quiet first three periods. He scored on a drive to open the final quarter and later made a three-pointer to give Philadelphia an 11-point lead with 6:30 remaining.
Nurse also explained how the 76ers are developing different offensive combinations to attack defensive switches, rather than relying exclusively on the familiar two-man game between Maxey and Joel Embiid.
“If it’s a small, we seal and go in,” Nurse said. “If they put two on Tyrese, we try to get to the pocket and down the lane. If they put a big on Tyrese, we try to space the floor and exploit that.”
Embiid, who entered the game questionable with a foot injury, finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Nurse confirmed that his early fourth-quarter exit was part of the team’s effort to manage the issue.
“Yeah, he’s okay,” Nurse said. “We’re just, again, like we talked about pregame, managing that and trying to be smart with it.”
Nurse described Monday’s result as a “professional win,” noting that opponents’ pace and three-point shooting can quickly erase leads. Philadelphia led by five at halftime before building a 17-point advantage in the third quarter.
“I’m glad that we handled it professionally tonight,” Nurse said.
The 76ers visit the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
