The Philadelphia 76ers got back into the win column Thursday night, defeating the Houston Rockets in overtime after falling to the Phoenix Suns in their last matchup.
Joel Embiid posted a monster triple-double, finishing the game with 32 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. Also added 26, his second-highest scoring output of the season.
That said, it was Tyrese Maxey who got the job done, scoring six of Philadelphia's 13 points in overtime and finishing with a team-high 36 points. Maxey added 10 assists, three steals and two rebounds as well. Maxey was one of three 76ers players to record three steals, with VJ Edgecombe and Paul George also getting in on the act.
With the stellar performance, Maxey made history with an incredible first half of the season. Through 40 games with the 76ers so far this season, Maxey has tallied 142 made threes and 83 steals. The only other player to ever reach these marks in his first 40 games of the year was Stephen Curry in 2015-16 season, a year in which he took home the first unanimous MVP.
However, Maxey hasn't been getting quite as much recognition. According to Shaun Powell of NBA.com, Maxey sits eighth on the most recent MVP ladder, despite posting averages of 30 points per game, 6.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.
Maxey will look to prove himself once again Saturday as the 76ers face the New York Knicks at home.
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