March 29, 2026
Brian Westerholt/Imagn Images
Tyrese Maxey returned two games early and was brilliant in the Sixers' most important win of the year so far.
If any team has ever been representative of how quickly things can change in the NBA, it has been the 2025-26 Sixers.
Take the last six days for example: on Monday, they seemed like a laughing stock. They lost to Jared McCain and the Oklahoma City Thunder with four of their five best players unavailable. On Wednesday, they got two of those key pieces back and obliterated the Chicago Bulls. On Saturday, the other two returned, too, and the Sixers beat one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference on the road to notch their most important win of the season. And yet the next time the Sixers take the floor, they will have a chance to get an even more important victory.
But before focusing on the Sixers' battle with the Miami Heat on Monday night, let's dive into this week's Sunday stats, detailing the team's impressive triumph over the surging Charlotte Hornets:
Tyrese Maxey's playing time on Saturday night.
Maxey, who was ruled out for approximately three weeks with a right finger on March 10, was supposed to at least miss the end of the month. He was clearly in good spirits when meeting with the media on Friday, but nobody hinted that the two-time All-Star could return earlier than anticipated. But Maxey beat his approximate reevaluation date by two games – and then, after not playing in a game in three weeks, logged exactly 43 minutes and helped lead the Sixers across the finish line.
Maxey's work ethic and endurance have become stuff of legend around the Sixers, who know very well that when a player misses considerable time, they usually need at least a game or two to get used to the speed of game action. It is why head coach Nick Nurse did not want to go "overboard" with the minutes of Joel Embiid and Paul George in their Wednesday returns.
But Maxey is different. He did extensive conditioning work during his time off – he was often seen doing full-court sprints in addition to left-handed workouts – and it clearly paid off. He played 43 excellent minutes – in addition to collecting eight assists, seven rebounds, a steal and a block, Maxey was aggressive and efficient offensively, scoring 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 shooting from the field. His efficiency as a shooter was particularly encouraging, as Maxey is playing with a splint. He had a similar injury last season and it completely tanked his shooting numbers. Maxey seems to be in a better place now than he was a year ago:
Every basket scored by Tyrese Maxey in his return to action on Saturday: pic.twitter.com/Nt9i5DxyUb
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 29, 2026
To get Maxey back for the two most important games of the season is, obviously, an enormous on-court lift. But it also is hard to imagine Maxey's return did not provide the Sixers with an emotional jolt, too; the returns of Embiid and George in the prior game certainly did.
Maxey, who logged his 62nd game of the season in Saturday, is now only three appearances away from qualifying for All-NBA. His chances of making a team are probably quite strong to begin with, but could grow stronger if his friend Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons ends up stuck at 61 due to his collapsed lung.
Paul George's points per game in two appearances since his suspension was lifted.
Only one time since joining the Sixers has George scored more points in a two-game span than he did between his electric return Wednesday and game-altering performance on Saturday. Wednesday's performance was largely about shot-making:
Paul George shot 1-for-9 from the field to begin his return in the Sixers' win over Chicago on Wednesday, but was everywhere defensively. In the second half he engaged in a heater, finishing the game with 28 points on 11-22 shooting (6-13 3P) and four steals.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 26, 2026
Full highlights: pic.twitter.com/eUuy3RAted
And while George matched Maxey's 26 points on Saturday, his showing was so brilliant because it extended far beyond putting the ball in the basket.
Early in the game, George was absolutely masterful defensively; three of his four steals came in the first half. While it took him two quarters to get back into the flow of things offensively upon returning from his 25-game suspension, George immediately clicked back into his outstanding defensive mode. He has been a stabilizing force for the Sixers all year long on that end of the floor.
Midway through the game, George locked in on offense, scoring effectively at all three levels, with an encouraging amount of downhill scoring mixed in. He finished the night with 26 points, but also grabbed 13 rebounds; after Charlotte center Moussa Diabaté punked the Sixers on the glass early and often, George was one of the central figures correcting the issue.
With the game hanging in the balance in the final minutes, George made the three biggest plays of the game, all in a row.
When Embiid missed a free throw that would have tied the game, George was forceful on the offensive glass and knocked the ball out of bounds off of the Hornets. Then he came off a screen and buried a corner triple on the move to put the Sixers ahead. With Charlotte looking to respond with a basket to tie or take the lead, George left his feet and picked off a pass for his fourth and final steal. It was an incredible ending to a well-rounded game for the nine-time All-Star:
Paul George put on a defensive clinic early, then got hot as a scorer, then made the three biggest plays of the game all in a row to cap off the Sixers' win in Charlotte on Saturday night. He finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and four steals.
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 29, 2026
Full highlight reel: pic.twitter.com/uVko3nDin1
George was adamant that, after leaving his team hanging for seven-plus weeks after violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, he was going to come back ready to go. He has followed through on his word.
Andre Drummond's plus/minus in the first 6:20 of the fourth quarter on Saturday.
Before Maxey's walk-off interview with the Sixers' broadcast team was complete, he shouted out a player who did not appear in the first 36 minutes of the game. But with Diabaté and others crushing the Sixers on the offensive glass, Nurse decided to play Andre Drummond over Adem Bona in the second half. Bona had not struggled during his minutes, but Charlotte's pursuit of extra possessions was so clear that Nurse rightfully felt he needed Drummond on the floor.
With Embiid playing the entirety of a chaotic third quarter, the veteran Drummond was tasked with eating up quite a bit of time. Initially out there with Maxey, Quentin Grimes, the returning Kelly Oubre Jr. and George, Drummond anchored a Sixers lineup that completely locked in with its defensive rebounding and overall connectivity, holding Charlotte scoreless for the first five-plus minutes of the final frame. Charlotte shot 5-for-22 in the fourth quarter, and they did not rebound a single one of those many misses.
Plus, Drummond added this highlight assist on what proved to be an important basket:
The Sixers went +3 in 6:20 with Andre Drummond on the floor to start the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over Charlotte. Drummond had a terrific assist to Quentin Grimes: pic.twitter.com/kv5Kg12Uyo
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 29, 2026
On Friday, Nurse spoke about the importance of someone being able to help the Sixers get through an extended chunk of the game without applying more pressure on the highest-usage pieces – like an innings-eating starting pitcher. He discussed it as it related to Cam Payne giving Maxey and Edgecombe blows. But whenever Drummond or Bona gives the Sixers an extended stretch of good minutes, it makes life enormously easier for Embiid.
Perhaps Drummond's run gave Embiid just enough rest for one key energy play to seal the deal:
How many times can you remember seeing Joel Embiid block a three-point shot? pic.twitter.com/I8xl13M6fU
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) March 29, 2026
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
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