Tyrese Maxey’s 26-point outing at Madison Square Garden came in a 108-102 loss as the Philadelphia 76ers fell 2-0 to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night. The guard’s production was steady, but his postgame message focused on execution gaps, turnovers, and shot-making in a game defined by 25 lead changes.
Maxey pointed first to shot quality and rhythm, saying, “Until we got some open shots and just couldn’t get them to fall.” He added, “We were pretty satisfied with what we looked at again. So yeah, in the fourth quarter. No, you just got to keep shooting. That’s the most important thing.”
He expanded on the team’s approach against pressure coverages, noting, “They did a lot tonight, putting two on the ball with myself. So I just try to give it up and get great offense to get guys open looks.” He emphasized trust in the system, saying, “We don’t lack confidence. If you don’t lack confidence, we’re going to keep shooting the ball regardless if you make it or not. We’re going to keep shooting the ball.”
Philadelphia struggled with turnovers as New York’s defensive pressure increased late. Maxey admitted, “The reason I turned the ball over way too much tonight, especially out of the traps, I need to do a better job of just staying poised in those traps to make the right play.”
He also acknowledged defensive adjustments and physicality from the Knicks. “They did a good job of kind of taking away certain passes that I like to make when I get trapped,” he said. “They tried to be aggressive. They really, really trapped me. It wasn’t a soft trap.”
The Sixers guard also pointed to the flow of the game and shot selection under pressure, saying, “We did enough defensively to win the game. Offensively, a little drought kind of hurt us in the fourth quarter.”
Reflecting on the series environment, Maxey described the intensity as constant, stating, “It’s going to be a dogfight. It’s going to be a real dogfight. So yeah, I think that’s what it’s going to be. A dogfight.” He reinforced that mindset, adding, “Don’t give up. We’re not gonna give up.”
Maxey also highlighted the consistency required moving forward, saying, “They’re a really good team. We know we have to play our basketball, have to put our best out there.” He closed with a broader outlook on the matchup, noting, “It’s going to come down to who makes plays at the end of the game.”
The series now shifts to Philadelphia, where the 76ers face urgency after falling behind 2-0 despite a tightly contested Game 2.
