Tyrese Maxey Shows Resiliency in Sixers' NBA Summer League Win Over Hawks

When the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their first NBA Summer League game on Monday with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, there was one key takeaway that mostly

When the Philadelphia 76ers wrapped up their first NBA Summer League game on Monday with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, there was one key takeaway that mostly everybody tuned in had; Sixers soon-to-be second-year guard Tyrese Maxey was the best player on the floor.

As promising as his first performance was, it wasn't surprising. Although he had some ups and downs during his rookie season, Maxey proved that he has a bright future in the NBA. So, his dominance during Monday's game against the Mavs in the Summer League was to be expected.

When Thursday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks rolled around, though, Maxey hit a bit of a snag. While he kept the same aggression on the court, the young guard wasn't finding baskets as easy as he did in the first outing.

During the first half, Maxey checked in for a little over 15 minutes. He led the Sixers in shots with 11 attempts, five of which were from beyond the arc. Of the 11 shots he took, Maxey hit on just 36-percent of them and missed every shot from long-range. 

Heading into halftime, Maxey had just 11 points as the Sixers trailed the Hawks 43-35. “I put those first-half struggles on me," Maxey said after the game. "Mainly because I came out pressing. I was shooting bad shots, trying to find my shot. When (Tyler Lashbrook), coach (Brian) Adams, they told me, ‘Hey man, just go out there and do what you do. Get your teammates involved, and everything will open up for yourself'. I think that’s what I did.”

Maxey played less aggressively in the third quarter as he looked to find comfort in the game. Taking just three shots in over eight minutes, Maxey collected four points before the final quarter of the matchup. 

The real test came in the fourth quarter for Maxey. As he took a step back and allowed his team to climb back, it was time for the former Kentucky guard to step up and take control of the game. When he checked in for the final six minutes of the matchup, Maxey flashed brilliance.

“I pride myself on being able to do with the coach asks me to do,” Maxey said. “I just feel comfortable with the ball in my hands. I feel comfortable making certain reads, certain passes. I worked on it my entire life, of course, but just over these last couple of months, last couple weeks, actually, and just finding the right read.”

In crunch time, Maxey hit on 57-percent of his shots. As the Sixers looked to put together a fourth-quarter comeback, the young Sixers guard led the team in scoring during the final period with 11 points, forcing overtime.

Once the Sixers made it to the two-minute overtime period, Maxey and the team pulled away from the competition. Scoring six points in two minutes, Maxey and the 76ers picked up a 96-88 win. While Thursday's win didn't come nearly as easy as Monday's blowout victory over the Mavericks, it was an encouraging sight as Tyrese Maxey showed resiliency and led the charge in the comeback win as he collected a game-high of 31 points.

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