The Philadelphia 76ers suffered a tough loss against the New York Knicks after losing Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden, already falling behind 2-0 in the series, with performances that left much to be desired on the 76ers’ side, and one of the players under scrutiny was Tyrese Maxey.
It did not help matters whatsoever that Maxey jammed his injured right finger; after the game, the 76ers guard admitted to losing his confidence on drives and navigating the Knicks‘ double teams, as per Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice.
And while Maxey was productive for most of the night as the 76ers kept pace with the Knicks despite being shorthanded, he could not get it done in crunch time, scoring just five points in the final frame as Philadelphia fell short, 108-102.
Maxey’s difficult game
Maxey has been a trooper for the 76ers all season long, and with Embiid out, he had to log an extraordinarily heavy workload, playing 47 minutes in Game 2. The fatigue seemed to catch up with Maxey, as he shot just 9-for-23 on the night to finish with 26 points.
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts.
Maxey also turned the ball over six times during the game, and his finger injury could have affected his ball-handling. The 76ers’ star guard needed help controlling the ball and attacking the rim, and with Embiid out, the responsibility of leading the team should not have rested solely on his shoulders.
Hearing that Maxey apparently lost confidence while dribbling against double teams had to be concerning for 76ers fans. Game 3 was set to be crucial for the 76ers, and Maxey, with only one full day of rest between Game 2 and Game 3, had to recover quickly.
The 76ers’ numbers during Game 2
The two-time NBA All-Star guard logged 47 minutes, scored 26 points, and dished out six assists. The Knicks turned Philadelphia’s 18 turnovers into 23 points. George ranked second in blame. The 76ers needed their veteran co-star to shoulder part of the offensive load and ease Maxey’s burden against one of the league’s most physical defenses. Instead, George delivered 19 points on an inefficient 7-for-18 shooting. Five made three-pointers masked the bigger problem.
VJ Edgecombe showed real promise with an efficient 17 points, but his four turnovers were especially costly in the six-point loss. But the overall performance from the 76ers left a lot to be desired, especially after coming off a Game 7 win against the Boston Celtics.
