Tyrese Maxey Is Breaking Ceilings and Rewriting Sixers History - One Game at a Time
PHILADELPHIA - Just when you think Tyrese Maxey has hit his peak, he finds another gear.
Tuesday night against the Wizards was another reminder that the 76ers’ young star isn’t just playing well - he’s playing at a level that has him brushing shoulders with some of the most iconic names in franchise history. Maxey dropped 35 points in just 29 minutes - his lowest minute total of the season - and made it look almost effortless.
A solid 15-point first half turned into a third-quarter explosion, where he poured in 20 points and took complete control of the game. The Sixers cruised to a 121-102 win, but the real story was Maxey - again.
Through 20 games, Maxey has racked up 649 points - the third-most prolific scoring start to a season in Sixers history. The only names ahead of him?
Allen Iverson in 2005-06 and Wilt Chamberlain in 1965-66. That’s not just good company - that’s legendary territory.
He’s also opened the season with 20 straight games of 20+ points, a feat that only Iverson and Joel Embiid have accomplished in a Sixers jersey. And with 13 career 35-point games already under his belt, Maxey now ranks fifth all-time in franchise history in that category. He’s doing this at just 29 minutes a night - and he’s still figuring it out.
“He should shoot even more,” head coach Nick Nurse said postgame. “Nobody is stopping him from doing what he wants to do.”
That’s not hyperbole. What Maxey is doing offensively right now is bordering on unstoppable.
He’s getting to his spots, creating off the dribble, finishing at the rim, and knocking down shots from deep. He’s not just scoring - he’s dictating the pace and flow of the game.
And when Nurse says Maxey can go six or seven possessions doing whatever he wants, he’s not exaggerating. Maxey’s shot creation and decision-making have taken a major leap.
This was Maxey’s 11th 30-point game of the season, and he’s on pace to average 30 for the year - a mark only reached by Iverson (five times), Chamberlain (twice), and Embiid (three times) in Sixers history. That’s the level he’s flirting with right now. And what’s even more impressive is how he’s handling the shifting lineups and injuries around him.
One night he’s running pick-and-rolls with Embiid. The next, he’s sharing the floor with Paul George.
Then Kelly Oubre Jr. is out. Then Quentin Grimes misses a game.
The Sixers haven’t had a full starting lineup all season, but Maxey has been the constant. He’s been the engine, the stabilizer, and the spark - all rolled into one.
And he’s not just gunning for his own numbers. Maxey’s growth as a playmaker is showing.
He’s learning when to take over and when to get others involved, and that balance is what’s turning him from a scorer into a true lead guard. On Tuesday, he added six assists and four steals to his 35 points - another sign of how well-rounded his game has become.
At 11-9, Philly’s record doesn’t jump off the page, but there’s room for optimism. The Sixers haven’t been whole yet, and with three games in four nights coming up against quality opponents, they’re going to need Maxey to keep doing what he’s doing - and maybe even more.
The Sixers have a star in Tyrese Maxey. That much is clear. But what’s becoming even clearer is that he might be something more - a franchise cornerstone who’s not just stepping into the spotlight, but owning it.
And if this is just the beginning? Watch out.