Off the heels of a disappointing outing Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers jumped right back into the fray the very next night to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers would welcome back De’Anthony Melton to the hardwood who would play his first game since Jan. 12 while Nico Batum and Kyle Lowry both took the night off in the second of a back-back.
Kelly Oubre, who found himself in the starting lineup to spell Nico Batum, got the festivities off with a bang as he jammed home the game’s first bucket over Cavs center Jarrett Allen.
There was no single standout among the Sixers’ starters as they put forth a communal effort. Off the bench though was a different story.
Cam Payne’s campaign for more minutes
With the arrival of Kyle Lowry and the return of De’Anthony Melton, minutes look as though they will be hard to come by for deadline acquisition Cameron Payne. Despite the writing on the wall, and much to his credit, Payne has not let that discourage him.
Taking advantage at what minutes came his way with Lowry out for the evening, Payne put for a steller 16-point performance. Leading the entire team in scoring until the fourth quarter, Payne was critical for the Sixers and certainly gave his best efforts to maintain his spot in the rotation.
It may be a losing battle, Payne fighting for minutes, but it’s certainly encouraging to see that the Sixers have some incredible depth at the position.
Maxey takes over in the clutch
It was a bit of a slow-burner for Tyrese Maxey. Against a tenacious defensive squad in Cleveland, Maxey found himself battling up hill most of the night. With just nine points to his name through three quarters, it was shocking that the Sixers remained in the game at all considering his struggles, that of course was in large part due to Cam Payne’s performance.
Come the fourth quarter though things began to change. Maxey showed incredible determination to force his way into the paint and no matter how difficult his shot was, he found a way to knock it down when the Sixers needed it most.
Tyrese Maxey will the Sixers to victory Thursday night. Now he has to lead them against a friend turned foe in their next matchup on Sunday night.
Up next for the Sixers
Philadelphia will next welcome a familiar face as the Milwaukee Bucks, now led by former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, are set to come to town.
Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM, and you can catch the game on ABC, ESPN 2, or stream it through ESPN.
