Tyrese Maxey’s late-game scare Saturday is set to cost him at least the next two games.
The 76ers announced Sunday that Maxey has a sprain in the fifth finger on his right hand and will sit out Philadelphia’s upcoming back-to-back on Monday at Cleveland and Tuesday at home against Memphis, while he undergoes additional testing and the team determines a treatment plan.
Maxey was injured in the final moments of Saturday’s loss to Atlanta when he collided with teammate Adem Bona while reaching for a steal. He immediately grabbed his right hand and did not return. The timing isn’t ideal for a team trying to stay out of the play-in mix. Philadelphia entered Sunday one loss back of sixth-place Orlando, the final playoff spot that avoids the play-in tournament.
The Sixers’ margin has been thin for weeks, with Paul George serving a 25-game suspension and Joel Embiid in and out of the lineup due to knee issues, including missing the past four games.
Maxey has been the constant, putting together his second All-Star campaign, and averaging career bests of 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals across 61 games, all starts.
For Maxey personally, the missed time also affects the awards calendar — he’s four games short of the 65-game threshold — but the more immediate concern is how quickly the swelling and pain subside once the testing is finished.
