Tyrese Maxey Takes Full Responsibility After Three-Shot Half in Game 4

tyrese maxey had just three shot attempts by halftime Sunday night, and the 76ers were already sliding toward a 128-96 loss to the Celtics in Game 4. He said afterward the low volume could not happen again, because Philadelphia could not win with him that quiet.

Maxey and Boston

Maxey did not hide from the result. “That absolutely can’t happen,” he said. “That’s just unacceptable by me.” He added, “It wasn’t meant to happen that way,” and then went further: “We can’t win basketball games with that happening, and I take full responsibility on that one.”

The half told the story. VJ Edgecombe had five shots before the break, while Joel Embiid and Paul George combined for 17 first-half attempts. Philadelphia still trailed by 18 points at halftime, and the spread in touches and shots left the offense leaning heavily away from the guard who has made clear he wants to be the team’s primary scorer.

Embiid Returns

Embiid came back to the lineup after a 20-day absence, and the Sixers’ shot distribution shifted around his return. That created the same roster fit problem the team has carried whenever its two young scoring guards share the floor with a ball-dominant center, with Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse among the people who may have to sort it out.

The Game 4 loss also snapped the edge Philadelphia had built less than a week earlier, when Maxey and Edgecombe starred in a win in Boston that tied the series. Now the Sixers head into Game 5 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Boston, with Game 6 listed for Thursday in Philadelphia and Game 7 listed for Saturday in Boston.