PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia loves 21-year-old rising star Tyrese Maxey, and it’s clear the feeling is mutual.
Maxey rose to the occasion with 13 fourth-quarter points in the Sixers’ 113-106 win over the first-place Heat, which was all the more remarkable because Joel Embiid and James Harden didn’t play due to back soreness and a left hamstring injury, respectively.
Chants of “Maxey, Maxey, Maxey” were heard loud and clear from the packed Wells Fargo Center faithful.
“Philly is different,” Maxey said when asked about the chants. “The Philadelphia crowd, every time I look at the [box] sheet after the game, it says ‘sellout.’ That’s an amazing feeling. For them to come, even when your two superstars are not playing, and to show the determination, the will to rally behind them, is a really good feeling.”
One of those superstars, Embiid, was on the bench jumping up and down like a fan while Maxey did his thing.
Harden tweeted support for the team shortly after the win.
“He’s just not scared,” head coach Doc Rivers said of Maxey. “He’s so comfortable in the moment.”
“He likes to play with the crowd too,” added Furkan Korkmaz. “I think that’s what gets him going. I think Philly is a perfect spot for him.”
“[Joel] told me he wasn’t playing before the game,” said Maxey. “He said, ‘Go out there and help us get a W.’ And I told him, ‘I got him.’ ”
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