Maxey-mum Effort: 76ers race past Cavs behind 33 from Maxey

Published Mar. 4, 2022 9:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey made five 3-pointers and scored 33 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their fifth straight win, 125-119 over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

The 76ers improved to 4-0 with James Harden in the lineup. Harden had 25 points and 11 assists. Joel Embiid added 22 points and nine rebounds.

Maxey, though, stole the show.

The second-year guard out of Kentucky tore through the Cavaliers in the second half and seemingly turned Embiid and Harden into bystanders. His best sequence came in the fourth. Maxey hit a 3 that gave the Sixers a one-point lead, then he drained a 3 off a pass from Harden on the break that made it 110-106 and had the Philly crowd going wild.

Harden held his arms high and beckoned the crowd to get even louder.

Harden, who had at least 20 points and 10 assists for the third time in four games, picked up his third foul at 8:32 in the second quarter and took only four shots through three. Yet, he still had 18 points (and nine assists) on the strength of two 3s and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line.

He’s dynamic pairing with Embiid was expected. But his presence has turned Maxey into a knock-off Allen Iverson since his arrival.

Maxey made 76ers fans -- and, frankly, the 76ers -- forget about Ben Simmons with his play this season.

He turned it on in the third quarter and brought the Sixers back from long-range, attacking the net, and even with a nifty pass off the break to Embiid.

Maxey hit two 3s and scored 14 points in the quarter to bring the Sixers back from 21 points down to grab a lead late in the third. He buried a 3, then came back right with a 12-footer to make it a three-point deficit. The speedy guard tossed the ball to Embiid for the easy bucket that sent the crowd into a frenzy. He scored 20 points for the fourth straight game, the longest streak of his career -- and all with Harden.

But it was Georges Niang who finally gave the Sixers their first lead on a basket and a 3 that made it 97-93.

Darius Garland scored 28 points for the Cavaliers. Isaac Okoro added 22.

The Cavaliers hit their first nine shots and Kevin Love hit a pair of 3s to help them race to a 39-18 lead. They have lost six of seven.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $20,000 by the NBA for his behavior while being ejected from a game on Monday night. The league fined Bickerstaff for using inappropriate language toward the officiating crew and not leaving the court “in a timely manner.”

76ers: Veteran C DeAndre Jordan is expected to join the team Saturday after he signed this week. Jordan’s arrival reunites him with Philly’s Doc Rivers, who was his coach while with the Los Angeles Clippers. “I hope he recaptures the Lob City days,” Rivers said. “That would be fantastic for us.” The 33-year-old Jordan joins Paul Millsap as a backup center for the Sixers. “We've got a bunch of backups now. He’s just one of them,” Rivers said. “But it’s great to have him.”

HARDEN FOR 3

Harden hit two 3s and has 2,559 on his career, one shy of matching Reggie Miller for third on the NBA's career list.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Host Toronto on Sunday.

76ers: Play Saturday at Miami.

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