The Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the Detroit Pistons at Little Ceasars Arena. The second quarter had the Pistons leading with 56 points. But Joel Embiid-led Sixers team gave as good as they got. Tyrese Maxey remained just shy of four points on the scoreboard, with 29 to Embiid’s 33.
But what caught the eyes of the fans was a very familiar move to drop a point. James Harden’s famous left step-back had fans going crazy on X (formerly Twitter). Let’s take a look at some of the reactions.
Tyrese Maxey is blowing up the internet with a Harden move
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Maxey’s left step-back is definitely going to be remembered for a long time. His speed and crafty scoring ability were on full display here. One user pointed out why exactly his scoring looked so familiar.
This move Maxey did looks familiar 👀pic.twitter.com/GfcvLmFf82
— BGN Hoops (@BGNHoops) November 11, 2023
Another user seems to be convinced more than ever that Philly did not need Harden.
They never needed Harden 😭
— 💜 (@thefutxre) November 11, 2023
Yet another user likens it to a cartoon/game scenario where one absorbs another’s power. He even nicknamed him “monstar”.
Maxey done absorbed Harden’s power like one of the Monstars https://t.co/zdsHaO5QOg
— Jaiden (@jaxander9) November 11, 2023
Pierre G puts a sarcastic spin on it by saying he just cannot “remember” Maxey’s move to the player who made it famous in the first place.
Seems like may have learned that from someone…. I just can’t remember who it was.
— PierréG (@PierreHoward) November 11, 2023
This user here has taken comfort in the fact that Harden taught a great skill before leaving for good.
At least James Harden taught him something
— Jack Monaco (@jackjmonaco) November 11, 2023
It is a great skill for sure. The left step-back creates enough space for the offensive player to get a direct shot to the basket. What’s incredible is that the side-step freezes your defender by faking a drive. Leave it to Harden to play his defender. But let’s get back to Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey is the best thing to happen to the Sixers in a while
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Tyrese was the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Since then, he has witnessed the highs and lows of the team and still stuck with it. Even when Philly got Ben Simmons or Harden to be Embiid’s co-stars, Maxey was always within reach. And now that neither of them managed to stay, the responsibility has fallen on the 23-year-old point guard.
He hasn’t disappointed at all. Maxey is averaging 25.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7 assists per game this season. Not to mention, developing better chemistry with Embiid on the court every game. With so many rumors going around about Joel Embiid wanting out, Maxey could potentially make him stay.
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With the 76ers winning tonight’s game against the Pistons with a 114-106 victory, it makes their win at 7-1. If this continues, Philly can very well be on their way to title contention. And they are surprisingly better off without Harden than they thought possible. Hopefully, Maxey can continue delivering.
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