Daily News | Tyrese Maxey propels the Sixers’ comeback in 125-119 win over Cavaliers | Analysis
Tyrese Maxey got in front of the Cavaliers’ transition defense for the one-handed slam, pumped his arm and screamed.
The Sixers won’t get much time to bask in Friday’s victory. They next play the Eastern Conference-leading Heat Saturday night in Miami, then take on the third-seeded Chicago Bulls Monday before a much-anticipated showdown with the Brooklyn Nets. The Sixers entered Friday 2½ games out of first place, and 2½ games out of sixth place.
Reserve forward Georges Niang then pushed the Sixers ahead, 97-93, with an off-balance floater and three-pointer. Maxey’s fourth-quarter flurry, which also included two consecutive three-pointers before the fastbreak dunk, put the Sixers ahead for good.For the second consecutive game, Maxey exploded in the second half. He scored 24 of his 33 points after the break on 10-for-15 shooting and 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Embiid went 7-of-14 from the floor , but his two-footer followed by a floater from Harden all but sealed the victory. All-Star big man Jarrett Allen did finish with 20 points and seven rebounds, while veteran Kevin Love added 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.