Tyrese Maxey stole the show against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night with his career-high performance. The 23-year-old took the responsibility on his young shoulders to drive the Sixers to a thrilling win over Victor Wembanyama’s team.
With Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry and Tobias Harris out, it was Tyrese Maxey’s turn to shine as the Philadelphia-based franchise is looking to get into the top 6 of the Eastern Conference. Maxey’s latest stat line not only boasted their chance of doing exactly that, but he also interjected himself into a list consisting of NBA greats after his dominant showing.
Tyrese Maxey joins elite list of NBA greats with latest performance
When Joel Embiid was ruled out of the Spurs game, things did not exactly look bright for the Sixers. Following his concerning return to the court on the back of a meniscus injury, the reigning MVP had to sit out the Spurs game due to injury management, as the Philly team did not want to run the risk of further health issues for their ace. With the stage set for a hero in the Sixers colors, Tyrese Maxey stepped up, and he stepped up big time.
The guard recorded an impressive 52-point performance against the struggling Spurs. With this, he now features in the list of NBA royalties that consists of Rick Barry, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum.
According to Stathead, Maxey became only the 8th player to record 3 50-point games in NBA history before turning 24, with Rick Barry topping the chart with 7, followed by Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron, Doncic who have 5 each.
With his 52-point game vs the Spurs, Tyrese Maxey became the 8th player in NBA history to record three 50-point games before turning 24 years old, per Stathead. The full list:
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) April 8, 2024
-Rick Barry (7 times)
-Wilt (5)
-LeBron (5)
-Luka (5)
-Kareem (3)
-Booker (3)
-Tatum (3)
His Sunday night’s point tally consisted of 5 rebounds and 7 assists while successfully converting 19 of his 41 field goal attempts along with 20% shooting success from the 3-point line and 100% free throw conversion.
This was not the only feat he achieved tonight. This was the 71st game where a player had at least a 50-5-5-2 steals record, showing the massive talent of Tyrese Maxey which he has displayed throughout the season.
Tyrese Maxey’s performance this season
Tyrese Maxey has been showing a steady improvement throughout the season. The 2024 NBA All-Star showed remarkable maturity up to this point of the season. Maxey is averaging 25.5 points per game this season, a sharp rise from his last season’s 20.3. Apart from the points tally, Maxey has also upped his rebounds and assists number which stand at 3.7 and 6.3 per game, respectively.
While he is yet to record a triple-double to his name, Tyrese Maxey has dished out numerous high-scoring outputs this season. Before his career-high 52 points against the Spurs, the guard scored 51 against the Utah Jazz in early February.
That same month was his most successful month so far with an average of 26.9 points per game. His 44.7% FG for the season also shows his scoring tendency. The former Kentucky player displays a great bond with his teammates as he dedicated his 50-point performance against the Pacers to Kelly Oubre Jr in November. Kyle Lowry’s mentoring has evidently been fruitful as shown by tonight’s performance.
After the NBA slapped a $100K fine on the Sixers for irregularities in the injury report due to Joel Embiid’s miraculous inclusion in the game against the OKC, the franchise can be wary of repeating such discrepancies this season. But with Tyrese Maxey’s rise to prominence, the Philly front office can now sigh in relief, knowing they have a shoulder to lean on.
