3 Key Takeaways as Tyrese Maxey’s Late Game Brilliance Couldn’t Prove Enough in 76ers-Cavs Clash

The dominant Philadelphia 76ers missed their opportunity to reach the top of the table after the Tuesday night encounter. The team faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the In-season Tournament game, leading up to a nail-biting overtime drama. As usual, the Sixers’ scoring leaders Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey churned in the buckets for the side, but it wasn’t enough. The Cavs carried the lead throughout the game and produced a rare victory at the Wells Fargo Center.

Let’s find out the three key takeaways from the game.

1. Did Joel Embiid fouling out cost Sixers the game?

Tied on 110, the Cavs forced the overtime on the Sixers. Importantly, stepping into the overtime, Joel Embiid already had 5 fouls under his name. The Cavs utilized this to their advantage at the crunch moment. With only 9 seconds left in the game, Embiid fouled out of the game on a controversial call when Cleveland led the game by 120-119. The replays clearly showed the Sixers’ Patrick Beverley had the initial contact with the Cavs’ player. Following that, the visitors filled the court with their towering defenders to save the rebound off the free throw, while it left the Sixers short-handed. Eventually, the Donovan Mitchell-less Cavs took home a 122-119 game.

2. Tyrese Maxey needs help at PG

While the NBA world expected the Sixers to crumble after the exit of James Harden, the story has been all different. Tyrese Maxey took the responsibility on his shoulders and has proved to be a loyal wingman for Embiid. Along with him, the team forward Tobias Harris has also been generating decent numbers. But, the team still needs to find its answer for a proper point guard. Even though De’Anthony Melton has recorded decent numbers, the team needs a star PG at that spot to support Maxey.

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3. Cavs register a rare win in Philly

The story for the Cavaliers at Philadelphia hasn’t been a great one. In the time since LeBron James’ departure, the team struggled to produce a win at the Wells Fargo Center. In the last 5 seasons, the Cavs had managed to win 1 game out of 6 clashes at Philly, as per Stat Muse. It is worth noting that the Cavs secured that particular win on February 27, 2021, in an empty arena, which, technically, wasn’t considered Philly’s home court. So the Cavs registered their first win in front of the Philly crowd in the last five seasons.

After restricting the dominant Sixers side, the Cavs made a statement about their chance at the title this season. Importantly, the team managed to pull off a clutch victory in the absence of Donovan Mitchell. This team already upset Stephen Curry and his men twice in the season.

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Moving forward in the league, could the Cavs cause trouble for the big teams? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.