NBA roundup: Sixers’ Maxey named most improved player; Pacers, Mavs tie series 1-1
Philadelphia — All of the transformations experienced by the 76ers this season were overshadowed by one massive makeover.
It delighted the fans, put the NBA on notice, and silenced critics who had long since hardened their opinions. It was a young point guard who stepped in and filled James Harden’s shoes without any problem.
You know Tyrese Maxey, right?
On Tuesday, the fourth-year veteran was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in voting by the media, joining Dana Barros (1995) as the only Sixers to win the award. Maxey received 319 points and 51 first-place votes.
Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White was second with 305 points and 32 first-place votes. Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün was third with 92 points and six first-place votes.
“He deserves it, for sure,” Patrick Reed said. “I think he’s a great player and puts the work in. You can tell that it’s paying off for him, and I’m proud of him. So I think he deserved it.”
The Sixers selected Maxey with the 21st pick in the 2020 draft.
He began his career as a third-teamer and worked his way into the rotation before the start of his rookie season. In his second season, Maxey was elevated to the starting lineup as a point guard in the wake of Ben Simmons’ refusal to play for the Sixers.
After the disgruntled Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Harden, Maxey maintained his starting spot while shifting to shooting guard.
Since then, he has been an emerging star. He finished sixth that season in Most Improved Player voting. Last season, Maxey took his game to another level as the third star behind Joel Embiid and Harden.
But there were concerns about how he would adjust to resuming point guard duties this season after Harden forced a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 1. While Maxey is not your traditional floor general, he has blossomed into one of the league’s best players.
Maxey and Embiid became the first pair of Sixers teammates to be named All-Stars in the same season since Embiid and Simmons in 2021.
“This is the first award that after 30 games people were like, ‘Maxey’s the Most Improved Player,’ ” Nico Batum said. “It was pretty much a no-brainer. I’m very happy to see him get it. He deserves it with the work he puts in, and the way he carried himself this year.
“I’m just happy for him.”
The 23-year-old averaged career highs in points (25.9), rebounds (3.7), assists (6.2), steals (1.0) and minutes (37.5) this season. The former Kentucky standout scored a career-high 52 points in a double-overtime road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on April 7. He had two other 50-point outings. He scored 51 points in a road victory over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 1 and had 50 points in a home win over the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 12.
“This award is extremely well-deserved with all the work he puts in,” Tobias Harris said. “… Working hard and being a great student of the game like he is, those opportunities come to great people like himself.”
Tuesday's NBA playoffs
Indiana 125, (at) Milwaukee 108: Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and Indiana overcame another fantastic first-half performance from Damian Lillard to beat Milwaukee and tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece.
Indiana snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak that began with a Game 7 loss to Cleveland in a first-round series in 2018. The Pacers were swept by Boston in 2019 and by Miami in 2020.
Two nights after scoring all 35 of his points in the first half of the Bucks’ 109-94 Game 1 victory, Lillard had 26 by halftime Tuesday and finished with 34.
It wasn’t enough. Lillard didn’t get enough help with the Bucks once again missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a strained left calf.
Dallas 96, (at) L.A. Clippers 93: Luka Doncic scored 32 points and Dallas overcame the return of Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard to beat the Los Angeles Clippers and tie their Western Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece.
Leonard had 15 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of his first game since March 31. He hadn’t played or had any contact practices during that stretch because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
Kyrie Irving added 23 points for the Mavs, who led most of the game two days after they trailed by 29 points and eventually lost 109-97. P.J. Washington Jr. added 18 points.
Game 3 is Friday in Dallas.
(At) Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93: Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points for a career best in the playoffs and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 105-93 victory over the Phoenix Suns to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series on Tuesday night.
Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert each added 18 points to help the Timberwolves offset the smothering of Anthony Edwards by the Suns, who held the All-Star to 15 points after allowing him 33 in the opener. Edwards went 3 for 12 from the floor.
The teams head to Phoenix for Game 3 on Friday night. Minnesota has held a 2-0 series lead only one other time in franchise history, against Denver in the first round in 2004 en route to a 4-1 series victory.
Devin Booker scored 20 points, Kevin Durant added 18 and sixth man Eric Gordon had 15 for the Suns, who again failed to get their high-octane offense in gear. The big three of Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal combined to shoot 18 for 45, with McDaniels leading the list of reasons for the slump.
NBA says Maxey was fouled twice
Philadelphia's Tyrese Maxey was fouled twice before his turnover that led to the go-ahead 3-pointer by Donte DiVincenzo in the New York Knicks' victory over the 76ers in Game 2, the NBA determined Tuesday.
In its Last 2 Minutes report, the league also said 76ers coach Nick Nurse twice attempted to call timeouts that were “neither recognized nor granted by the officials” during the possession.
The furious 76ers planned to file a grievance regarding the officiating after falling into a 2-0 hole in the series following the Knicks' 104-101 victory on Monday night. But on Tuesday – speaking on TNT after being revealed as the league's Most Improved Player this season – Maxey offered perspective.
“It is what it is. It happened. We’ve got to let it go,” Maxey said. “We can’t dwell on it now. If we dwell on it, then in a couple days we’ll be down 0-3. We don’t want to be down 0-3. We know that we can still win this series. We’re going to go out there and prove that to everybody, not just ourselves. It starts today, letting that go. And then tomorrow at practice, and when the ball goes up on Thursday be the tougher team – not just physically, but mentally as well.”
The 76ers led by five points before Jalen Brunson's 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining. The 76ers attempted to inbound the ball to Maxey, who was swarmed by both Brunson and Josh Hart. Maxey fell to the court and Hart grabbed the ball.
But the NBA said Brunson first grabbed Maxey's jersey, preventing the All-Star guard from catching the pass cleanly. The league ruled that Hart then made lower body contact that caused Maxey to fall.
Both plays were indicated as incorrect non-calls.
The league determined that Hart took the ball away from Maxey with a clean steal.
Nurse attempted to call timeout before the ball was passed in, then again after Maxey had fallen, which may have been too late.
“The timeout request is simultaneous to Hart making contact with the ball and (Philadelphia) not having possession,” the report said.
Sixers center Joel Embiid used an expletive after the game in saying the officiating had been unacceptable for missing the attempted timeout and the foul.
“I mean, we still had chances to win the game,” Maxey said Tuesday night. “I got my layup blocked and we missed a 3 at the end to tie. We can’t dwell on that. We can’t leave the games in other people’s hands. We’ve got to go out there and take it.”
Clippers' Leonard returning for Game 2
Kawhi Leonard is returning to the Los Angeles Clippers’ lineup for Game 2 of their playoff series against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
Coach Tyronn Lue said before Tuesday night’s game that Leonard would be back after missing three weeks because of right knee inflammation.
“He's done all the necessary things he has to do to get on the floor and so he's checked every box,” Lue said. “He's ready to go.”
Leonard was on the floor at Crypto.com Arena warming up a couple hours before the game. He won't be under a minutes restriction; instead, Lue will gauge how his superstar forward is feeling during the game.
Leonard has not participated in any contact practices going into the playoffs. He last played on March 31.
Antetokounmpo remains out for Game 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Game 2 of the Milwaukee Bucks' Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night because of a lingering left calf strain.
The two-time MVP also missed Game 1 and the Bucks' last three regular-season games.
“(He) shot today, was on the floor a bunch,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said during his pregame media session. “He’s getting closer.”
Game 3 is Friday at Indianapolis.
Antetokounmpo was struggling to run up the court in the third quarter of an April 9 victory over the Boston Celtics when he grabbed his left calf and took a seat on the floor before eventually heading to the locker room. An MRI revealed the muscle strain.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since.
The Bucks have gone 6-5 in the games Antetokounmpo has missed this season, including a 109-94 Game 1 victory over the Pacers on Sunday night. Damian Lillard picked up the slack by scoring 35 points, all in the first half.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee vs. Indiana
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: Milwaukee 109, Indiana 94
▶ Game 2: Indiana 125, Milwaukee 108
▶ Game 3: Friday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Indiana, 7 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Milwaukee at Indiana, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
Boston vs. Miami
(Celtics lead 1-0)
▶ Game 1: Boston 114, Miami 94
▶ Game 2: Wednesday at Boston, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 3: Saturday at Miami, 6 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Monday at Miami, TBA
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: Miami at Boston, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Boston at Miami, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Miami at Boston, TBA
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Cavaliers lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Cleveland 97, Orlando 83
▶ Game 2: Cleveland 96, Orlando 86
▶ Game 3: Thursday at Orlando, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday at Orlando, 1 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Cleveland at Orlando, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
New York vs. Philadelphia
(Knicks lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: New York 111, Philadelphia 104
▶ Game 2: New York 104, Philadelphia 101
▶ Game 3: Thursday at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: New York at Philadelphia, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
Western Conference
L.A. Clippers vs. Dallas
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: L.A. Clippers 109, Dallas 97
▶ Game 2: Dallas 96, L.A. Clippers 93
▶ Game 3: Friday at Dallas, 8 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: L.A. Clippers at Dallas, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
Denver vs. L.A. Lakers
(Nuggets lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Denver 114, L.A. Lakers 103
▶ Game 2: Denver 101, L.A. Lakers 99
▶ Game 3: Thursday at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday at L.A. Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
▶ x-Monday, April 29: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Denver at L.A. Lakers, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans
(Thunder lead 1-0)
▶ Game 1: Oklahoma City 94, New Orleans 92
▶ Game 2: Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
▶ Game 3: Saturday at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Monday at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Oklahoma City at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
Minnesota vs. Phoenix
(Timberwolves lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Minnesota 120, Phoenix 95
▶ Game 2: Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93
▶ Game 3: Friday at Phoenix, 10:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Minnesota at Phoenix, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA