Sixers' Doc Rivers Loved How Tyrese Maxey Played vs. Knicks

Doc Rivers details what went into Tyrese Maxey's successful night against the Knicks.

The Philadelphia 76ers entered Friday’s matchup against the New York Knicks with revenge on their mind. Last Sunday, when the Sixers paid a visit to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, they got off to a hot start and established a comfortable lead in the opening minutes.

Eventually, their 21-point lead dwindled into an 11-point lead in minutes. By halftime, the Sixers were only up by one possession. In the second half, the Knicks turned the tables in the matchup. Eventually, New York defeated Philadelphia by double digits. 

While the Sixers didn’t totally place the blame on the bench unit led by Tyrese Maxey, it was clear the reserves were a significant reason why the Sixers struggled to come out on top in New York on Sunday.

When the two teams met once again in South Philly on Friday, the Sixers got their revenge. And Tyrese Maxey was a key to their success. Following the game, Doc Rivers discussed what went into the young guard's performance.

“He was great,” said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. “Not only just offensively, I thought he got into Brunson and defended for us as well. Loved how he played. Didn’t force it. Let it come to him. I loved his first basket of the game. I always think when he starts out with his fingernails on the backboard, it leads to the rest of the stuff. I thought he had that in his head early to attack first, then let the shots come. And I thought he did that.”

Through the first half of action, Maxey checked in for 14 minutes off the bench. During that time, he was one of two Sixers to score double-digit points, as he had 13 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.

The third-year guard played even better in the second half, helping the Sixers climb back from once trailing 13 points to eventually winning the game 119-108.

With an 18-minute shift on the court in the final half, Maxey knocked down five of his next ten shots. He drilled all but two of his second-half three-pointers. Tacking on 14 points, Maxey finished Friday’s game with 27 points. He produced the second-most amount of points behind Joel Embiid, who accounted for a game-high of 35 points. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.