Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey came through together again, and the 76ers rode that three-man push to a 127-116 win over the Bucks for their third straight victory.
Philadelphia’s stars did the heavy lifting from the opening stretch to the finish. Embiid stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Brown matched him with 28 points of his own, and Maxey added 26. The Sixers did not need everything to be clean to stay in control; they just needed their best players to keep landing punches, and that is exactly what happened.
Milwaukee had a more spread-out effort, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. topping the team with 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Tyler Herro never found a rhythm, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists on 42.9% shooting.
The Bucks won only one quarter, the second, and even that came with Philadelphia hanging in at 35-30. When the game tightened late, the Sixers answered with clutch shot-making and avoided the kind of collapse that can flip a night like this.
Embiid earned an A+ in the player grades after turning in what might have been his most complete game of the season. He shot just 8-for-20, but the bigger story was how often he dictated the action anyway.
He got to the line 14 times, made the right reads as a passer and cleaned the glass. The result was a triple-double that reflected impact far beyond the scoring column.
Brown got an A after doing a little bit of everything. He defended on the wing, helped limit the Bucks to 32.4% shooting from three and kept the offense moving with timely shot-making. His line - 28 points, three rebounds, five assists and three steals - fit the kind of all-around night Philly wants from him.
Maxey came in right behind them with an A-. His shot was not falling at an elite clip, as he finished 9-for-22 from the field, but he still delivered when the Sixers needed buckets most. He kept the pace up and stayed in attack mode, especially in the fourth quarter.
V.J. Edgecombe was next with a B+, even though efficiency was not his calling card.
He scored 17 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds while also adding two blocks and a steal. At 6-foot-5, he was not supposed to be the biggest presence on the glass, but he was there anyway.
His activity also helped spark 22 Milwaukee turnovers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope earned a B for giving Philadelphia a useful lift off the bench. He knocked down four threes, finished with 12 points and added three steals in 28 minutes. With Anfernee Simons struggling, that shooting mattered.
Dean Wade also received a B after making his first appearance of the season and first in a 76ers jersey. He did not get many chances in a star-heavy game, but he still made his presence felt with three steals and a block while staying steady on the wing.
Jabari Walker got a C+ for another solid showing in a modest role. He scored six points, grabbed three rebounds and played within the flow of the game in 12 minutes, which continued his early-season trend of being useful for the second unit.
Simons was the low point, earning a D after a rough night from the floor. He managed only four points on 1-for-7 shooting and missed five of his six three-point tries. After a 13-point debut off the bench, this was back-to-back tough outings, though the Sixers were able to win anyway.
Labaron Philon Jr., Adem Bona, Justin Edwards and Caleb Love all went scoreless and were excluded from the grades.
In Other News...
Bucks Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Offseason Priorities
The Bucks decision to cut Kevin Porter Jr. wasnt just a roster move, it was a signal about how Milwaukee wants to handle the rest of its offseason. By trimming down to 15 players, the team kept itself aligned with the next phase of roster-building, and according to Jake Fischer, that approach was part of a broader discussion with Denver about Porter, Zeke Nnaji and draft picks.
Milwaukee could have added extra draft capital in the process, but passed on the framework in favor of keeping cap flexibility intact for upcoming free agents. Denver had its own reasons for exploring a move involving Nnaji, whose contract and production made him a candidate to be moved, but the Bucks clearly valued future maneuverability over another asset haul. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bucks Guard Malik Beasley Faces New Questions About His NBA Future
Malik Beasleys NBA future is suddenly in doubt again, this time because of a legal case that reaches back to his 2023-24 season and has put his on-court conduct under a federal microscope. Court records show the former Bucks guard is in discussions on a plea agreement with prosecutors after initially pleading not guilty, while his attorney said no final decision has been made.
The indictment accuses Beasley of being part of an alleged gambling scheme tied to his performances, with the case also naming other defendants, including former NBA player Ed Davis. For Milwaukee fans who remember Beasleys brief run with the Bucks, the basketball questions now feel secondary to the much larger uncertainty hanging over whether he will have a clear path back to the league at all. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Face Early Test As New-Look Sixers Raise The Stakes
The Bucks next measuring stick comes early, with a trip to Philadelphia on Oct. 24 setting up a matchup that already feels loaded for Milwaukee. The 76ers have reshaped their roster in the offseason, and any October meeting between these teams now carries a little extra weight because of the way both sides have been built to think beyond just one game in the standings.
Taylor Jenkins is still sorting through what went wrong in Milwaukees recent loss to the Bulls, especially on the defensive end, so the Bucks head into this one looking for cleaner answers. Philadelphias new look only sharpens the challenge, and with the history between these teams always part of the backdrop, this matchup figures to arrive with plenty of attention before the season has even had time to settle in. [Read more 🡒]