The Philadelphia 76ers received some positive injury news regarding their All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey after medical tests revealed no structural damage to his injured hand.
Maxey underwent both X-rays and an MRI after suffering a sprain in his right pinky finger during Philadelphia’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The tests confirmed there were no fractures, according to comments made by head coach Nick Nurse before the team’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The injury occurred with just 16 seconds remaining in the game when Maxey collided with teammate Adem Bona while chasing a loose ball. The guard immediately grabbed his hand and tucked it underneath his jersey before heading straight to the locker room.
Despite the scare, the initial results were encouraging.
“No breaks,” Nurse said while addressing reporters ahead of the Cavaliers matchup. “Now, he’s got to see the hand specialists to figure out what’s next.”
Maxey has already been ruled out for at least the next game as Philadelphia continues evaluating the injury and waiting for further consultation with specialists.
The situation still carries some concern for the team, particularly because Maxey dealt with a similar issue in the past.
He sprained the same pinky finger last season, something Nurse acknowledged could complicate the recovery timeline.
This year has been the best season of Maxey’s career, making his absence especially significant for a Sixers team fighting for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
The 25-year-old guard is averaging career highs of 29 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.7 assists across 61 games this season. His scoring output has been especially remarkable, as Maxey currently leads the entire NBA with 1,767 total points.
Still, Nurse said Maxey remains in good spirits as he waits to learn more about the next steps in his recovery.
“He seems OK and his spirits are good,” Nurse said. “He wants to be back, but he’s got to see these people before we take the next step.”
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