Tyrese Maxey and hometown hero Justin Edwards led the Philadelphia 76ers to a narrow 102-100 victory over Boston on Tuesday, while reigning champions Oklahoma City bolstered their NBA-best record to 11-1.
Maxey, currently the NBA’s second-highest scorer this season, contributed 21 points, and Edwards came off the bench to add 22 points. Kelly Oubre secured the winning points with a crucial putback shot with 8.7 seconds remaining, following Edwards’ only miss of the night.
“Extremely tough. He fought in there,” Maxey said of Oubre’s final basket. “We got Justin the good look and KO got the rebound and put it back.”
Boston’s Derrick White missed a desperate half-court attempt at the end, and the 76ers (7-4) improved to 2-1 against the Celtics this year, with their matchups decided by a mere four points.
Maxey reflected on the frequent encounters with Boston. “That’s how it goes,” Maxey said. “We’ve played them 100 times it feels like since I’ve been in the NBA. They know what we’re going to do and we know what they’re going to do.”
He emphasised the importance of resilience in winning close games. “Resilient. We trust each other,” he said. “Just try to make great plays and play great defense in the fourth quarter.”
Edwards, a two-time state high school champion from Philadelphia’s Imhotep High School, had a flawless shooting night, going 8-for-8 from the floor and 5-of-5 from three-point range until his final miss, which set up the winning basket.
Sixers reserve Quentin Grimes added 18 points, while Boston’s Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 24 points.
Philadelphia played without Cameroonian big man Joel Embiid, who was sidelined due to a sore right knee. The Sixers led 23-22 after the lowest-scoring first quarter of the season for both teams and were ahead 51-41 at halftime. A Grimes three-pointer from half-court at the third-quarter buzzer brought them to within 77-71, setting up a fourth-quarter rally.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points and delivered 11 assists to lead Oklahoma City to a convincing 126-102 home win over the Golden State Warriors. Chet Holmgren added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who boosted their NBA-best record to 11-1 with a third consecutive win.
New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, hitting six of nine three-point attempts, and provided 10 assists, sparking the Knicks to a 133-120 victory over Memphis. The Knicks (7-3) also received 21 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns, extending their win streak to five games and remaining undefeated at home with a 7-0 record.
Toronto’s Brandon Ingram scored 25 points, and Immanuel Quigley added 24 to lift the Raptors to a 119-106 win over Brooklyn. The Nets fell to 1-10, tying with Washington for the NBA’s worst record, and remain winless at home with a 0-6 record.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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