3 Sixers Takeaways: A Long Sigh of Relief

One of the most dramatic wins of the season was much harder than it had to be. However, the Philadelphia 76ers ultimately crept back to three games over .500 with a 2-1 homestand.

The Sixers sealed a victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday despite the visitors' comeback attempt that fittingly characterized Philadelphia's first 21 games of the season.

Tom McGinnis made a dooming proclamation in the third quarter. He noticed the Warriors chipping away from a 22-point halftime deficit. 

The Warriors played in their franchise’s former hometown without Steph Curry or Jimmy Butler, but an odd assortment of former Sixers and a strong bench put together the comeback that the iconic local announcer feared.

Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton scored 14 apiece. A surprisingly loud Golden State crowd in South Philadelphia roared while the visitors furiously charged back to take a late lead. Joel Embiid sat on the bench after playing all 25 of his minutes in the first three quarters.

Tyrese Maxey hit a late cold spell, and a tense effort allowed Golden State to take a 98-97 lead into the final seconds.

Maxey missed the initial shot that looked like it would decide the game. However, VJ Edgecombe’s putback gave Philadelphia the lead. Maxey’s hustle the other way to block Melton, his close friend and former teammate, sealed the win.

All’s well that ends well? Nick Nurse spoke about balancing the celebration with his team’s shortcomings to blow the late lead.

The spotlight typically circles back to the Big Fella.

Some early positivity on the health front – if you can call it that – is that his ailing right knee that’s kept him out for 13 games in 2025-26 isn’t the same knee that derailed his 2024-25 season.

The Sixers, however, have now listed injury management for both of Embiid’s knees on their official injury reports.

Embiid has struggled to reach the MVP level of his prime seasons. It’s fair to question if his best years are behind him. His sporadic availability has impacted his conditioning, and he hasn't found rhythm or growth to better handle the limitations that didn’t hold him back earlier in his career. 

The 7-footer suited up against the Warriors after Nurse called him a game-time decision just two hours before tipoff. He played 25 minutes through three quarters and sat the rest of a tight game.

Nurse spoke about his decision not to save Embiid's limited minutes for the fourth quarter.

Nurse has at other points this season conserved Embiid’s limited minutes for the crucial moments of the game. The third-year Sixers head coach also hasn’t yet determined the best way to utilize Embiid’s limited skill set.

While Nurse unquestionably knows he can’t expect his highest-paid player to regain MVP form, the team could use contributions from a gifted big man if Embiid can reach a better comfort level with his own capabilities.

The lack of rhythm and constant questions about Embiid's availability impact a young team's chemistry and ability to develop gameplans.

The first two games of the week provided the most intriguing contrast of Maxey’s 2025-26 season.

He played 52 minutes in the double-overtime loss against the Hawks. While he scored 44 points and sent the game past regulation with a clutch three-pointer, he also missed two free throws in the final seconds of the first overtime. Jalen Johnson quickly capitalized by extending an eventual Atlanta win to an extra session.

Maxey played only 28 minutes, his lowest total of the season, two days later in a blowout victory against the Wizards. 

The game circumstances against the Wizards dictated Nurse’s management of his star guard, but so did the availability of Jared McCain.

McCain comfortably handled the ball during the first half against Washington while the NBA’s leader in minutes took on a more manageable workload. 

Maxey took a pass from Edgecombe early in the third quarter for a catch-and-shoot three. The Sixers welcomed the sight from a player with the seemingly constant weight of creating his own opportunities off the dribble this season.

The Sixers pulled ahead of the Wizards with a dominant third quarter and sat Maxey for the final frame.

McCain has regained some of the rhythm from the fast start to his rookie season. His contributions lessened what’s been too big of a load on Tyrese Maxey through 21 games. 

Advanced Stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and ESPN Analytics