Sixers vs. Nuggets Recap: Despite Maxey 40 Burger and Yabusele Career-High, Embiid-less Philly Falls Short in Final Seconds

 

 

The Sixers came into this game on a four-game winning stream and only a handful of games out of playoff position. While a number of key Sixers were out including Embiid, the four straight wins in what was once considered a tanking season has 76ers fans frothing at the mouth for more.

Embiid, Paul George, and Drummond were out again, which would hamper the Sixers’ efforts significantly in this contest.

But the 76ers still have Maxey, one of the most talented players in the entire league (stats to back that claim up below), and Sixers fans came into this game legitimately hopeful this team could figure out a way to beat Jokic and the Nuggets, and add to their recent stack of wins against tough competition.

For his part, Tyrese Maxey came into the game sixth in the NBA in PPG, and after the Nuggets jumped out to an early lead, Maxey cut it to just two after a steal where he out-leapt the intended target and quickly sprinted down the court to rise up and nail an open three as the score sat at 8-6 with nine minutes left in the first quarter.

Jokic and the Nuggets roster overmatched the Sixers as the quarter continued and Denver built a lead, but an Eric Gordon three followed by a hard Oubre drive that led to free throws which briefly cut the lead to six.

Maxey swished a three that capped a 13-3 Sixers run and obliterated a nine-point deficit, which also gave Philly their first lead of the game as the score sat at 25-24 and the Nuggets called a timeout.

Maxey would end the quarter with 13 of the 76ers 36 points.

.@sixers @TyreseMaxey has moved past @KyleKorver for third all-time in franchise history in three-pointers made.

His 663 threes are behind only @Holla_At_Rob33 (724) and Hall of Famer @alleniverson (885).

h/t @bball_ref

— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) February 1, 2025

The Sixers shot 8-12 from three in the first quarter which helped them end the quarter only down 38-36 only due to a buzzer-beating mid-range jumper from the Nuggets in the final milliseconds.

The teams traded tough paint points and impressive finishes throughout the second quarter, and midway through the period the teams were right back where they started as the score sat at 51-49 in favor of the Nuggets after Kelly Oubre fought through contact and then used it to create his own space inside for a perfect floater just a few feat from the basket.

Yabusele and Oubre were matching Tyrese Maxey’s intensity, pace, and scoring as all three players had a least 14 points in the first half while Yabu and Oubre actually led the team in points with 18 a piece. Sidenote: Yabusele is shooting an insane 50% from the field on the year.

The half ended with the Nuggets up 73-69 as the game looked like it would end in a complete shootout and would just depend on who had the ball last.

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixersnba.bsky.social) 2025-02-01T01:31:12.953Z

Yabusele got the lead down to three points midway through the third quarter after flying through the air to slam a lob through the hoop and get the score to 93-90, marking his 26th point of the night through just two and a half quarters.

He would go on to hit his career-high for points before the quarter was over, an impressive feat for the Frenchmen who until the start of this year hadn’t scored a point in the NBA since the 2018-2019 season.

Edwards to Yabu! 👏

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixersnba.bsky.social) 2025-02-01T02:24:23.594Z

Tyrese Maxey would later hit another, deep, high-arcing catch-and-shoot three which cut the lead to just one point with four minutes remaining in the third quarter.

The period would end with the Nuggets up 103-100, after a lightning-quick dish from Tyrese Maxey to Ricky Council before with the clock ticking down resulting in a catch-and-shoot corner three from RC4.

RC4 at the buzzer! 🚨

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixersnba.bsky.social) 2025-02-01T02:32:10.336Z

The fourth quarter went much like the rest of the game, with both teams trading a diversity of offensive blows both from down low and from outside.

While the Sixers were able to keep Jokic in check for most of the night relative to Jokic’s usual performance, Murray had 29 points midway through the fourth quarter as the score sat at 112-111 in Denver’s favor.

A sharp-cutting Maxey took Murray to the cup though for a creative finish that got the 76ers the lead again as the score sat at 123-122 in Philly’s favor with three minutes left in the game.

After a nail-biting fourth quarter, the Sixers lost 137-134 after Denver free throws while a Yabusele half-court shot missed wide as the clock hit zero.

Regardless of the outcome, after a four-game win streak that included beating the Cavs and the Lakers without Embiid and Paul George, playing toe-to-toe with an essentially fully-healthy Nuggets lineup with no Embiid and George again was still an incredibly encouraging sign from a team that once looked dead.

By the end of the game, Maxey, Oubre, and Yabusele all had at least 27 points, at least two assists, two or more rebounds, two or more threes made, and at least one steal. This group showed tonight they can carry the load against the NBA’s top competition even if they have key injuries.

A one possession loss against Jokic, Murray, and Gordon against just Maxey (in terms of the Sixers big three)? This team is much closer than people think, they’ve given some of the most elite teams in the NBA their toughest battles and even beaten them, and there’s plenty of season left.

RESE FOR THE LEAD!

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixersnba.bsky.social) 2025-02-01T02:55:33.459Z

Today, the 76ers are flying around on defense as much as any team in the NBA, and right now they rank fifth in steals per game (per ESPN).

Maxey is the energizer bunny powering that turnover-hungry defense, and he ranks second among guards in minutes per game, fourth in points per game, and fifth in steals per game (according to NBA.com).

It’s no surprising that those steals have led to a bevvy of fast breaks for the Sixers, and Maxey is averaging the fifth-most fast break points per games.

They are also playing more efficient basketball than meets the eye and are taking advantage of opposing turnovers by playing mistake-free basketball on their end. Right now the Sixers are turning the ball over at the ninth-lowest rate in the NBA.

Veterans and role players like Lowry, Oubre, and Yabusele are doing their part and playing within themselves almost perfectly, and Lowry ranks 20th among all NBA guards in assist to turnover ratio and has the 11th-best turnover ratio among the position.

Guerschon Yabusele is another similar key contributor who is playing as efficient basketball as anyone at his position.

After some time away from the NBA and impressing the world with his performance at the Olympics, Yabusele has found a second home and a career rebirth in Philadelphia as he’s reportedly received a significant amount of trade interest from other teams and has the 13th-best true shooting percentage among centers this year (according to Basketball Reference).

DUNK FROM 🐻 >>>

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@nbcsportsphiladelphia.com) 2025-02-01T01:32:12.381Z

Among the many key contributors, Kelly Oubre is having a phenomenal season and has become an absolute force around the rim as he is currently averaging the 10th-most rebounds per game. He’s also taking Maxey’s lead when it comes to jumping passing lanes like an NFL cornerback: right now he’s 16th among guards in steals per game (as reported by NBA.com).

Similar to Lowry and the other players who have stepped up throughout the rash of Sixers injuries the past few weeks, Oubre is also cutting down on his mistakes and making the right play more often than not. He’s averaging the ninth-lowest turnover percentage among SFs, which Basketball Reference classifies him as.

Additionally, he’s tied with Tyrese Maxey for 19th in terms of double doubles by guards this season.

Want one final random random ass stat for a moral victory and a good night’s sleep? Paul George ranks third in percentage of points from mid range. Jeff Dowtin Jr. also leads guards in assist to turnover ratio.