Joel Embiid Pushed Tyrese Maxey to Notch Career-High vs. Pacers

Sixers star wanted to see Tyrese Maxey break 50 points vs. Pacers

So far this season, the emergence of Tyrese Maxey has been one of the biggest storylines for the Philadelphia 76ers. The 23-year-old continues to prove he is on the fast track to stardom in the NBA. 

Since becoming the second option behind Joel Embiid, Maxey has seen an uptick in production as a scorer and facilitator. This was on full display Sunday night when he notched a new career-high in a win over the Indiana Pacers. 

In 39 minutes of action, Maxey erupted for 50 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Previously, his career-high in points was 44. That came last season during a blowout win against the Toronto Raptors. 

Following this career night, Maxey was asked his thoughts about breaking the 50-point plateau. He gave a special shoutout to Joel Embiid, who was pushing him to score as much as he could. 

"Yeah, I think Joel [Embiid] wanted me to get 50 (points) more than I think myself did," Maxey said. "He was going to grab the ball and was like, ‘You are going to shoot this basketball.’ I just appreciate my teammates, appreciate the fans, coaching staff. It was a great night. We got the win and that’s what matters the most."

Embiid also had a dominant performance against the Pacers, notching 37 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. 

With this performance, Maxey put himself in some historic company within the Sixers organization. On Sunday, he became one of two players in franchise history to score 50 or more points at age 23 or younger. The other is Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson. 

It's still early, but Maxey is playing his way into All-Star and possibly All-NBA conversations. Through nine games, his averages sit at 28.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 7.2 APG.