Nick Nurse, Sixers evaluate play of Tyrese Maxey in win over Celtics

[76ers Since 74]

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers needed a challenge on Wednesday to continue to improve as a team under new coach Nick Nurse. The Boston Celtics certainly gave them one. The Celtics, who looked dead in the water when down 15 with 3:44 left, stormed back and had a chance to win late before Kristaps Porzingis’ game-tying attempt fell short. The Sixers escaped with a 106-103 victory to extend their winning streak to six games. This was a good test for Tyrese Maxey. The young guard has been terrific to begin the season, but the Celtics, led by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White on the perimeter, are a different beast. Maxey shot 11-for-27 to score 25 points, but he had nine rebounds and five assists. Coach Nick Nurse saw growth from his young guard. “He probably had a little bit of a similar game from, I don’t know when it was, one of the other ones we just had when he didn’t start off that well, but he stayed with it,” Nurse said. “He was unbelievable in the run that kinda gave us the lead, right?” That run Nurse was referring to was early in the fourth quarter. Maxey scored 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting in the fourth. All 11 points came in the first six minutes of the fourth to keep Boston at bay. “He was in there with what we would call our second unit,” Nurse added. “Even though there’s two or three starters in there with that, the unit we start the fourth with, and we needed him there to take control of the shot-making and he did it.” The Sixers want Maxey to take those shots. They want him to have the confidence to take open looks no matter what is going on or however many he has missed. He has to take the looks and Wednesday was a good step. “I like that he took 27 shots,” added Joel Embiid. “He should’ve probably taken more. I got pissed at him a few times for passing up wide-open shots. Especially, since he’s such a great shooter, and any time he’s wide open, he has to take them. He has to take them.” Joel Embiid on Tyrese Maxey tonight #Sixers pic.twitter.com/Ub50qcGXsl — Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) November 9, 2023 Philadelphia is going to put the ball in his hands and push him. The Sixers want him to be a consistent part of the offense no matter how many shots he has missed. “It doesn’t matter if he takes 30 or 40 shots,” Embiid added. “He has to do it. He needs to stay aggressive, but as far as getting everybody set and just being aggressive, I thought he did a pretty good job. Like I said, he took the shots that he’s been making. He just happened to miss a few today. He’s not gonna miss it again.” Again, this will be a process with Maxey. Nurse saw growth against the Celtics, but he wants to see more growth in the point guard area despite some obviously positive things in the win. “I thought he did some really good things,” Nurse finished. “Again, I think there’s a real — in that area in particular — there’s a lot of room for growth with him, but he did pretty good.” Joel Embiid, Sixers evaluate execution late in close win over CelticsPlayer grades: Joel Embiid, Sixers beat Celtics in slug fest at homeJaden Springer, Sixers focused on winning, not about rotation minutes
Email


Sign up Like this article? Sign up for the Sixers Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning An error has occured Please re-enter your email address. Thanks for signing up! You'll now receive the top Sixers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

Source: https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/2023/11 ... r-celtics/