The Philadelphia 76ers now sit at 10-9 in the Eastern Conference standings.
The 2025-26 NBA season started well enough for the Sixers, but their form has dipped again following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks outlasted the Sixers in a double-overtime thriller, coming away with a 142-134 victory.
After the final buzzer, Joel Embiid had something interesting to say about Tyrese Maxey.
Joel Embiid admits he ‘feels bad’ for Tyrese Maxey
Maxey has gone above and beyond what many expected this season, and is putting himself right in the middle of the 2026 NBA MVP conversation.
But with the 76ers having trouble finding any real momentum, those MVP hopes might not come together.
Averaging a league-high 40.7 minutes per game, Maxey is under an incredible load, which is why Embiid feels for his 76ers teammate.
“The only thing I can say is that I do feel bad. It’s unfortunate, but you can only control what you can control. If anybody thinks I don’t want to play every game? That’s their problem.
“… Obviously the minutes that he has to play, the load that he has to handle. I’ve been there. I know how it feels.
“You just gotta trust in what you’re doing, and in God, and be okay with the fact that whatever happens, happens,” he stated.
The star centre missed time earlier in the season through injury and since returning has only managed limited minutes across seven games at an average of just 24.3 per contest.
Tyrese Maxey shines again in defeat to Hawks
According to Sofascore, against the Hawks, Maxey turned in another outstanding display, finishing with 44 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists in a double-overtime loss.
He logged 52 minutes on the court, more than anyone else in the game, once again taking on the bulk of the workload for Philadelphia.
But it raises concerns about how long he can keep this pace up. Playing that many minutes every night is not something you often see in today’s NBA.
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