Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo Praise Tyrese Maxey

The Miami Heat entered Monday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers as the top seed. Regardless of whether they won or not, the Heat would leave South

The Miami Heat entered Monday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers as the top seed. Regardless of whether they won or not, the Heat would leave South Philly in the same position.

The circumstances surrounding the Sixers hinted that Monday's matchup might roll in Miami's favor. Not only was Sixers center Joel Embiid ruled out due to back soreness, but the ten-time All-Star guard James Harden got a rest night as well.

With two of the only All-Stars on their roster out for the night, it seemed a Miami victory was inevitable. But the Sixers shocked the basketball world on Monday.

Led by the second-year point guard Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers managed to find a rhythm early and stuck with it. In the first quarter of action, they hit on 50-percent of their shots. Maxey led Philly in first-quarter scoring with eight points.

While Maxey clocked in for just one minute before halftime, the young guard was feeling refreshed and ready to take over in the second half. In his next ten minutes on the court, Maxey collected seven points. 

And when the fourth quarter rolled around, the second-year guard went off to help secure the Sixers a shorthanded victory, which impressed Monday night's opponents.

Praise From the Enemy 

"He's hooping," said Miami big man, Bam Adebayo. "He's got that look in his eyes, you can tell he wants those big moments, he wants to take those big shots. You know he's from Kentucky, so I'll give him that much credit, but that's all I'm giving him."

Former Sixers star Jimmy Butler keeps in close contact with Joel Embiid. Therefore, the All-Star is well-aware of how hard Maxey works on his game. And on Monday night, Butler saw a result of that.

"He is a heck of a player," Butler said. "The way he scored the ball in the fourth and all throughout the game. Drawing help and making the right plays, he's been doing it all year long. I hear how hard he works, and I definitely respect him and his game, and he's going to be in this league for a long time just like one of the youngsters on my team and so many other youngsters around the league."

Maxey finished Monday night's game against Miami with a game-high of 28 points in 28 minutes. In the final quarter, he was a perfect 5-5 from the field. Thanks to Maxey's production and clutch shooting, the Sixers managed to squeeze out of Monday's matchup with an impressive 113-106 shorthanded victory.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.