The Philadelphia 76ers will be without their most consistent performer, Tyrese Maxey, for at least the next two games.
The All-Star guard has been ruled out with a right 5th finger strain after suffering the injury late in Philadelphia’s 125–116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Maxey was hurt in the final seconds while diving for a loose ball, colliding with Hawks big man Adem Bona. The guard remained on the floor briefly while clutching his right hand before eventually getting up and heading toward the locker room with his hand wrapped in the bottom of his jersey.
Charania reported that Maxey “will undergo further testing and consultation on the next steps” before determining when he will return to the court.
The injury comes at a difficult time for Philadelphia, with the team already dealing with a string of absences across its roster.
Maxey has been having the best season of his career and has been one of the league’s most productive guards throughout the year. The Sixers star is averaging career highs of 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 46 percent from the field.
In a season where Philadelphia has at times looked capable of contending in the Eastern Conference, Maxey has been the one constant presence on the floor.
But the Sixers’ lineup has rarely been whole.
Joel Embiid has missed the team’s last four games due to a right oblique strain and is not scheduled to be re-evaluated until March 14, meaning he will miss at least three more games. Paul George, who signed a max contract with the franchise in 2024, is currently serving a 25 game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.
Philadelphia has also recently been without Rookie of the Year contender VJ Edgecombe, who has missed the past three games with a lumbar contusion.
Despite the setbacks, the Sixers remain firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
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