"My grandma probably wouldn't like": Tyrese Maxey recalls his heated NSFW celebration after game-tying shot
The Philadelphia 76ers' season was saved by Tyrese Maxey on Tuesday, when the young standout dropped 46 points in the team's 112-106 win on the road. With the team looking to stave off elimination on the road, Maxey's incredible Game 5 performance couldn't have come at a better time. Specifically, his poise in big late-game moments showed his impressive growth under the brightest of lights.
With the team's season on the line, and moments left to go in regulation, Tyrese Maxey pulled up from downtown, hitting a big three-point shot to tie the game. As he told media members after the game, while he made his way back down the court to play defense, he was both yelling and screaming.
The moment marked the highlight of a season that was questioned by many. Heading into this year, they parted ways with James Harden. Then, during the regular season, they were hampered by injuries with Joel Embiid playing just 39 games.
After elevating his play throughout the regular season, Tyrese Maxey's Game 5 performance showed that when the stakes are the highest, he can rise to the occasion.
"I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn't like, honestly. But, I mean, listen, I just. That's a lot of emotion. Like I said, man, I'm a happy guy, but I absolutely hate losing, ... People don't see me upset a lot, but I was really upset.
"I just wanted to go out there and make up for it for my teammates, man. I feel like I played pretty well the whole game, and to force it lose a game like that, lose in the season like that, I would have been crushed."
Looking at Tyrese Maxey's Game 5 performance, and the highly anticipated Game 6 matchup between the two teams
As Tyrese Maxey explained in his post-game media scrum with members of the press, he had a good game but made some critical errors that frustrated him. In addition to missing three clutch free throws in the fourth, he also logged two turnovers.
Because of that, Maxey wanted to make up for it in the biggest way possible by nailing the game-winning shot to force overtime. There, he added five points, two rebounds and an assist to his already impressive numbers that had seen him drop 11 in the first quarter despite early shooting struggles.
In the second quarter, the team struggled as a whole, scoring just 17 points to the Knicks' 32 and erasing their early first-quarter lead fueled by Maxey. Kyle Lowry went 0-2 from the floor, with Tobias Harris and Kelly Oubre Jr. each going 1-3.
In the third, Tyrese Maxey had an efficient nine-point quarter, going 4-7 from the floor and 1-2 from downtown before then erupting for 17 in the fourth on 6-7 from the floor.
With the series now at 3-2, the 76ers will look to win once again in hopes of forcing a Game 7 matchup.