Tyrese Maxey Highlights Joel Embiid's Underrated Trait for Sixers

Joel Embiid's on-court dominance shined against the Knicks recently, but Tyrese Maxey claims another factor played into the Philadelphia 76ers' Game 3 win.

May 9, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) and center Joel / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Following Game 3 between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, Joel Embiid was a major storyline. While many focused on some of his actions during the game, the reigning MVP was nothing short of dominant in a must-win scenario.

Despite playing on an injured knee and dealing with a case of Bell’s Palsy, Embiid has managed to stay on the floor for the Sixers. Not only is he in the lineup, but he has been a major factor for them in this series. On Thursday night, Embiid notched a new playoff career-high with 50 points as the Sixers cut their deficit to 2-1.

After this impressive outing, Tyrese Maxey had nothing but praise for his superstar teammate. He cited multiple areas that Embiid impacted the game both on and off the floor.

“His voice and his presence tonight was the biggest thing,” Maxey said postgame. “I know he had 50, but his voice, his presence, his passion was huge tonight. He didn’t let us get pushed around early.”

Maxey had a solid outing himself in Game 3, finishing with 25 points and seven assists. Thanks to strong performances from the two All-Stars, the Sixers find themselves with a chance to tie the series at two in Game 4 Sunday.

Throughout his career, Embiid has had the narrative of being injury-prone over his head. While he might not be 100% now, he is not letting it be an excuse on the floor. As the team’s star player, he is out there leading the charge despite what he’s going through physically.

No matter how things play out for the Sixers in this series, Embiid deserves a lot of credit for his efforts. He is laying it all out on the line every game to try and help his team fulfill their postseason aspirations.