Tyrese Maxey torched the Los Angeles Lakers for 43 points, leading a short-handed Philadelphia 76ers squad to a 118-104 victory on Tuesday night. With Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined, Maxey took full control, scoring 41 points through three quarters and extending his career-best streak of 25-point games to 11 straight.
The 76ers pulled away in the second quarter with a dominant 48-point performance, opening their six-game homestand on a high note. For the Lakers, LeBron James did his best to keep them competitive, finishing with 31 points and moving into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time steals list.
However, their hopes took a major hit early when Anthony Davis exited late in the first quarter with an abdominal muscle strain. Davis, who had been averaging 26.3 points and 12.1 rebounds this season, managed just four points in 10 minutes before walking to the locker room with his right hand over his stomach. His absence left a massive void, and Los Angeles struggled to keep pace without their star big man.
The Lakers also saw extended minutes for rookie Bronny James, though he failed to score in his time on the court. Without Davis anchoring the defense, Los Angeles had no answer for Maxey’s relentless scoring, as he hit four 3-pointers and shot 15-of-26 from the floor. The 76ers built an insurmountable lead by halftime and never looked back, leaving Lakers fans frustrated all night. Let’s provide a grade for every Laker that made the court.
Dalton Knecht: B+
Stats: 24 PTS, 5 REB (0 OREB, 5 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 8-13 FG, 5-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, -14, 23 MIN
Knecht was a bright spot for the Lakers, delivering an efficient 24-point performance on 8-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers. His offensive aggression provided much-needed scoring, especially with Anthony Davis exiting early. Despite his strong showing, his -14 plus/minus reflected the Lakers’ struggles on the defensive end, where he had little impact.
LeBron James: B+
Stats: 31 PTS, 8 REB (1 OREB, 7 DREB), 9 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 8 TO, 1 PF, 10-16 FG, 1-4 3PT, 10-11 FT, -11, 33 MIN
LeBron did all he could to keep the Lakers competitive, scoring 31 points while also adding 8 rebounds and 9 assists. However, his 8 turnovers were costly, as the 76ers capitalized on Los Angeles’ mistakes. His efficiency (10-of-16 from the field) and ability to get to the free-throw line (10-of-11) were positives, but without Davis, he lacked the supporting cast to make a real push. James nearly posted a near quadruple-double with turnovers, so a mixed performance overall with brilliant moments and some low points.
Austin Reaves: B
Stats: 13 PTS, 6 REB (0 OREB, 6 DREB), 8 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 1 PF, 6-10 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -4, 34 MIN
Reaves played a well-rounded game, finishing with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting an efficient 6-of-10. He provided secondary playmaking and helped steady the offense at times, but he wasn’t aggressive enough as a scorer. His -4 plus/minus showed he was one of the more effective Lakers on the court, even in a losing effort.
Rui Hachimura: B-
Stats: 13 PTS, 2 REB (0 OREB, 2 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 2 PF, 6-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -8, 24 MIN
Hachimura contributed 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, providing solid scoring in his 24 minutes. However, he grabbed just 2 rebounds and did little to impact the game beyond his scoring. With Davis out, the Lakers needed more rebounding and defensive presence from Hachimura, but he struggled in those areas.
Cam Reddish: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 3-5 FT, +5, 18 MIN
Reddish had a quiet game, scoring just 5 points in 18 minutes. He took only one shot from the field but got to the free-throw line five times, making three. While his efficiency was solid, he didn’t contribute much else, finishing with only 1 rebound and 0 assists. His defensive presence helped, as shown by his +5 plus/minus, but he wasn’t a major factor.
Christian Koloko: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB (0 OREB, 2 DREB), 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2 PF, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT, -7, 18 MIN
Koloko had a minimal scoring impact with just 4 points but showed some promise as a passer, dishing out 4 assists in 18 minutes. He was efficient from the floor (1-of-1) and free-throw line (2-of-2), but his defensive presence was lacking, and he struggled on the boards with only 2 rebounds.
Anthony Davis: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB (2 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 2-3 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +3, 10 MIN
Davis’ night was cut short due to an abdominal strain, limiting him to just 10 minutes of action. He scored 4 points on 2-of-3 shooting and grabbed 2 offensive rebounds before exiting. His absence was a massive blow to the Lakers, as they had no defensive anchor to counteract Philadelphia’s attack.
Jaxson Hayes: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB (1 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO, 4 PF, 1-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT, -19, 19 MIN
Hayes played 19 minutes but struggled to make a meaningful impact, scoring just 4 points and collecting 3 rebounds. He did record 2 blocks, showing some rim protection, but his 4 fouls and -19 plus/minus indicated his struggles defensively and in team schemes.
Max Christie: C
Stats: 3 PTS, 4 REB (0 OREB, 4 DREB), 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 1-6 FG, 1-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, -8, 22 MIN
Christie had a rough shooting night, going just 1-of-6 from the field and beyond the arc, finishing with only 3 points. He did contribute 4 rebounds and 2 assists, but his inefficiency hurt the Lakers, and his -8 plus/minus reflected his struggles.
Dorian Finney-Smith: D
Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 5 PF, 1-6 FG, 1-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, -2, 19 MIN
Finney-Smith had a tough night offensively, making just 1-of-6 shots (all from three-point range) and committing 3 turnovers. While he grabbed 3 rebounds, his 5 personal fouls limited his ability to be effective. His -2 plus/minus suggests he wasn’t a complete liability, but he struggled to contribute meaningfully.
Bronny James: D
Stats: 0 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 1 PF, 0-5 FG, 0-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -8, 15 MIN
The rookie saw extended minutes but failed to score, going 0-of-5 from the field, including 0-of-3 from deep. He did grab 3 rebounds and had a block, but his 3 turnovers highlighted his struggles handling the ball. His -8 plus/minus showed his limited impact, though the experience will be valuable for his development.
Shake Milton: N/A
Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, +3, 6 MIN
Milton played just 6 minutes and attempted one shot, which he missed. With such limited time on the floor, it’s difficult to assess his performance, though his +3 plus/minus suggests he wasn’t detrimental in his brief stint.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
