76ers' Tyrese Maxey Gets Critical of Personal Performance vs Bucks

Tyrese Maxey was critical of his own performance against the Bucks on Wednesday.

Oct 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) reacts to his three pointer against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Wednesday night, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Milwaukee Bucks for the season opener. While their opponent missed an All-Star-caliber player in Khris Middleton, the Sixers were down two stars, missing Joel Embiid and Paul George. As expected, the pressure was placed on Tyrese Maxey to be the team’s go-to guy for the night.

The fifth-year guard checked in for nearly 40 minutes on Wednesday night. He led the Sixers in shots taken, attempting 31 field goals. While Maxey was certainly active offensively for the Sixers, he wasn’t as effecient as he typically is.

After the game, the young veteran was critical of his own performance.

Oct 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) drives for a shot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

“I think we played hard. … Messed up on some gameplay mistakes, but otherwise, played really hard. We got to make shots. I mean, I shot the ball horribly, and it shows," said Maxey.

Through the first half of action, Maxey put up 19 shots from the field. Six of his attempts came from beyond the arc. The veteran guard made just six of his shots from the field. By adding three points from the charity stripe, Maxey finished the first half with a team-leading 16 points.

The game was still in reach heading into the third quarter, but Maxey’s shooting struggles continued. In ten minutes of action during the third quarter, Maxey hit on just one of his five attempts from the field to score three points.

On multiple occasions in the second half, the Sixers teased a potential comeback, but they couldn’t close in. In the final minutes of the matchup, Nick Nurse pulled Maxey, allowing the low-minute group to check in for the first time and close out the game for the team.

The Sixers will start the season 0-1 after taking on a tough 124-109 loss. Maxey finished with 25 points. In addition to his scoring, the veteran guard collected six rebounds and dished out three assists. On a positive note, he turned the ball over just once.

“It was one of those nights, honestly," Maxey added. "Just like, a couple of layups I normally make. A couple of floaters and threes. I can live with that. I can live with that, knowing it would happen less than often just because of the work. I’m okay with it. I’ll bounce back, and we’ll bounce back as a team."

Maxey and the Sixers will get a chance to bounce back on Friday night when they pay a visit to the Toronto Raptors.