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Tyrese Maxey assesses his Game 3 after Sixers fall to Knicks at home
TL;DR
The Philadelphia 76ers lost 108-94 to the New York Knicks in Game 3, trailing 3-0 in the series. Tyrese Maxey scored 17 points but took only 12 shots, a significant drop from his playoff average.
Key points
- Philadelphia 76ers lost 108-94 to New York Knicks
- Sixers trail 3-0 in the playoff series
- Tyrese Maxey scored 17 points and seven assists
- Maxey shot 8-for-12 but took fewer shots than usual
- Knicks' defense pressured Maxey during ball screens
Philadelphia 76ersNew York KnicksTyrese MaxeyJalen Brunson
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers are in a position nobody wants to be in following a 108-94 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 3 at home on Friday. The Sixers are now staring elimination in the face as they trail the Knicks now 3-0 where NBA history is not on their side at all.
Tyrese Maxey had 17 points and seven assists on the night, and he shot 8-for-12, but it was a peculiar night. He entered Game 3 averaging 20.3 shot attempts per night in the playoffs, so him only taking 12 shots--and only three triples--was a bit odd. He didn't take a 3-pointer until the third quarter.
"They just put two on the ball every ball screen," said Maxey after the loss. "Every ball screen, every (Jalen) Brunson action, they put two on the ball, and I feel like I made the right play."
To Maxey's point, he did what any basketball player would do when faced with pressure. That's to find the open man and get them open looks. Unfortunately, the Sixers shot just 42.9% from the floor overall and 9-for-32 from deep.
With that being said, the Sixers need Maxey to be the aggressive, ruthless scorer he has shown he can be on a regular basis.
"I shot the ball well," Maxey explained. "I shot 8-for-12 and I had seven assists. I think I did a decent job. I passed the ball when I was supposed to. I shot it when I was supposed to."
Knicks coach Mike Brown gave a lot of credit to Mikal Bridges who is the primary defender on Maxey. The 8-year veteran out of Villanova certainly bothered him and did what he was supposed to do, but Maxey sees it as the Knicks just sent a lot of attention his way and he made the right basketball play.
"I think Mikal’s a great defender," Maxey explained. "I think he’s really good at what he does. I also think, you know, when you’re up on every screen and you put two on the ball every time, my job is to get rid of it. That’s just how you play basketball, in my opinion, you know what I’m saying? If I see two multiple times or I’m dribbling around the big and the big just keeps coming and coming, and stays with me the entire time. Pass the ball. I think that’s the right play."
Q&A
What was Tyrese Maxey's performance in Game 3 against the Knicks?
Tyrese Maxey scored 17 points and had seven assists, shooting 8-for-12 from the field.
How does the Sixers' loss in Game 3 impact their playoff chances?
The Sixers now trail the Knicks 3-0 in the series, putting them in a precarious position as NBA history shows that teams in this situation rarely come back to win.
Why did Tyrese Maxey take fewer shots in Game 3 compared to previous playoff games?
Maxey took only 12 shots in Game 3, down from his average of 20.3, due to the Knicks' defensive strategy of putting two defenders on the ball during screens.
