PHILADELPHIA — James Harden delivered a long bounce pass to the streaking Tyrese Maxey, who converted through contact to the delight of the home crowd getting its first glimpse of the 2022-23 version of the 76ers.
The Sixers’ 113-112 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center marked the preseason debuts for stars Joel Embiid and James Harden and prized free-agent acquisition P.J. Tucker. But Maxey stole the show again, dropping 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting in 15 first-half minutes.
It would be unwise to draw sweeping conclusions from preseason games. But Maxey looks poised to build on his breakout 2021-22 season, mixing explosive drives with a perfect 3 for 3 from 3-point distance. Wednesday’s flurry from Maxey followed his 20-point effort on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor in the Sixers’ preseason opener at Brooklyn Monday night.
