Sixers Fall Flat Against Nets as Maxey Struggles, Embiid Returns From Injury Scare
The Sixers couldn’t overcome a cold shooting night and a red-hot Michael Porter Jr. on Tuesday, falling 114-106 to the Nets at Xfinity Mobile Arena. It was a game that never quite clicked for Philly, especially for Tyrese Maxey, who had one of his toughest outings of the season.
Maxey Off the Mark All Night
Maxey just couldn’t find his rhythm. He finished with 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting, and it wasn’t just the numbers - it was the feel.
From the opening tip, Maxey looked out of sync, struggling to shake free from Terance Mann’s physical defense and missing shots he normally buries. He went scoreless in the first quarter, started 0-for-6 from the field, and never really found a groove.
His frustration showed. There was a heated exchange between Maxey, head coach Nick Nurse, and the officiating crew near the end of the second quarter, and by then, the Sixers were already chasing the game.
A fourth foul early in the third - on a four-point play no less - summed up his night. It wasn’t just the missed shots; it was the timing of the mistakes, the defensive lapses, and the inability to spark the offense when the Sixers needed it most.
Embiid Returns - and Then Scares Everyone
Joel Embiid was back in the lineup after missing two games with a right knee management designation and an illness, and early on, he looked like himself. He opened with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first quarter, attacking mismatches, hitting contested jumpers, and looking comfortable moving up and down the court.
But just 25 seconds into the third quarter, Embiid had everyone holding their breath. After a bump from Mann, he grabbed at his right knee and immediately signaled to the bench. Andre Drummond subbed in as Embiid limped to the locker room - a familiar and unwelcome sight for Sixers fans.
Thankfully, the scare was short-lived. Embiid returned to the bench about five minutes later and checked back in with 6:49 left in the third. He finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and four assists, but the momentum had already shifted by the time he re-entered.
Porter Jr. Torches the Sixers
Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. was the best player on the floor for much of the night. He dropped 28 points and was cooking early, hitting three straight threes to erase an early Sixers lead and give the Nets control. He had 25 points by halftime, carving up the Sixers’ defense with a mix of deep shooting and confident drives.
Philly tried mixing in zone looks with their veteran-heavy second unit, but nothing seemed to slow Porter down. Brooklyn’s ball movement and energy exposed the Sixers’ rotations, and with the Sixers’ offense sputtering, the defense couldn’t afford many breakdowns.
Short-Handed and Searching
The Sixers were already dealing with a thin rotation. VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Dominick Barlow were all out due to illness, and the team canceled its morning shootaround as a precaution. Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) remained sidelined.
That left Nurse turning to veterans like Eric Gordon and Kyle Lowry for extended minutes. Gordon gave the Sixers a spark with 12 points off the bench, including the team’s first two made threes. Lowry saw his first home action of his 20th NBA season, stepping in after Maxey picked up early fouls.
The Sixers even experimented with double-big lineups, pairing Drummond with Embiid and later inserting rookie Adem Bona. Drummond had a solid showing with 12 points and 13 rebounds, doing much of his damage on second-chance efforts. But even with some strong individual performances, the overall cohesion just wasn’t there.
Cold Shooting and Costly Mistakes
The Sixers shot just 40.7% from the field and 25.9% from deep - numbers that rarely win games in today’s NBA. Jabari Walker and Paul George both air-balled threes early, and the team never really found a consistent rhythm from beyond the arc.
Maxey and Jared McCain, who made his first start of the season, combined to shoot 6-for-25. McCain had a pair of missed lefty layups in the fourth quarter and looked every bit like a young guard still adjusting to the pace and physicality of a starting role.
The Sixers also hurt themselves with unforced errors - fouls in transition, poor closeouts, and missed box-outs. Brooklyn’s lead ballooned to 19 at one point, and while the Sixers made a late push, it was too little, too late.
A Late Push, But Not Enough
There was a brief flicker of life late in the fourth. Maxey picked off a pass and coasted in for a layup.
Bona finished an alley-oop from Embiid. A pair of Embiid free throws cut the deficit to single digits at 99-90.
But that was as close as Philly would get. Maxey air-balled a three, the Sixers committed a string of fouls, and Brooklyn calmly closed it out.
What’s Next
With the loss, the Sixers drop to 16-12, while the Nets improve to 9-19. Philly now hits the road for a five-game swing, starting Friday night in Chicago. They’ll need to regroup quickly - especially Maxey, whose bounce-back will be crucial if the Sixers hope to stay in the thick of the Eastern Conference race.
This wasn’t just a bad shooting night. It was a reminder that even with Embiid back, the Sixers need more consistency from their backcourt, more composure in crunch time, and a lot more urgency if they want to avoid nights like this going forward.