76ers Coach Reveals Details Behind Tyrese Maxey’s Early Exit vs Magic

Nick Nurse reveals Tyrese Maxey's early exit was "precautionary."

May 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives for a shot agains New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the second half of game six of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Going into the preseason finale against the Orlando Magic, the Philadelphia 76ers rolled out a starting five that included Tyrese Maxey. Considering the star guard knows his role on the team well, his presence on the court on Friday came as a shock, especially considering the Sixers’ recent string of absences.

Similar to his All-Star teammate Paul George, Maxey left the game early against the Magic with a bit of an injury scare.

With just five minutes to show for, Maxey exited during the first quarter of Friday’s loss. He was off to a quiet start, putting up just one shot and dishing out a single assist. Maxey looked bothered due to something that happened with his hand. He left the court, leading the Sixers to officially rule him out before halftime.

The team confirmed Maxey was dealing with a thumb contusion.

Oct 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives on Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After the game, Nick Nurse stated the same.

"Just a right thumb contusion," he told reporters.

As far as the severity goes, Nurse doesn’t seem to be under the belief that Maxey is truly dealing with a concerning setback.

"Just precautionary to keep him out,” the head coach added.

The Sixers went on to drop their Friday night game against Orlando with a 114-99 loss. The slate will get wiped clean ahead of next Wednesday’s opener against the Milwaukee Bucks.

For the most part, the 76ers don’t seem concerned about facing some big questions regarding some of their key players. Still, they aren’t clear on who will be available for opening night.

Joel Embiid missed the entire preseason due to knee injury management. When the team shut him down for multiple weeks, there were no answers for his playing status against the Bucks.

As for Paul George, he suffered a minor knee injury against the Atlanta Hawks last Monday. He will be re-evaluated early on next week, and recently made it clear he’ll be back sooner than later. Whether sooner means Wednesday or not remains to be seen.

Maxey will be another question mark until the Sixers suit up and practice once again. On Sunday, the team will compete in the annual Blue x White scrimmage. While George and Embiid are expected to sit out, Maxey’s status is not clear just yet. The Sixers would be wise to hold him out to avoid any further setbacks, but if Maxey’s fully healthy and ready to compete, there’s always a chance he could put some work in.