Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has been downgraded to questionable for Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the New York Knicks due to an illness, the team announced. Maxey did not participate in the team's shootaround on Monday morning according to ESPN. The 76ers are down 1-0 in the series after dropping Game 1 on Saturday.
Further details regarding Maxey's status are unclear at this time. If he's unable to go, that would obviously be a massive loss for the Sixers. Even if he is able to suit up, though, it appears he will be at something less than 100%. Either way, this is not great news for the Sixers ahead of what is essentially a must-win game.
Maxey, who is the favorite to win Most Improved Player this season after making his first All-Star game, was incredible in Philadelphia's Game 1 defeat, finishing with 33 points and four assists on 14-of-26 from the field.
He is the Sixers' only perimeter player who can consistently create their own shot and put pressure on the defense. Furthermore, he's their most reliable 3-point threat -- 37.3% on 8.1 attempts per game overall and 44.4% on catch-and-shoot looks -- and a key floor spacer around Joel Embiid. For the season, the Sixers' offensive rating with Maxey on the floor was 118.3 and plummeted to 109.3 when he sat, which was the biggest difference of any regular rotation player.
The point is, the Sixers need Maxey to be at his best if they want to win this series against a physical Knicks defense that can overwhelm opponents at time. That is even more true with Embiid hampered by his knee injury, which he re-aggravated in the first half of Game 1 on a stunning self-alley-oop off the backboard. While Embiid returned after the break, he shot 2-of-11 in the second half.
If Maxey and Embiid are both struggling, Game 2 figures to be an uphill battle for the Sixers. In NBA history, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win it 92.7% of the time.
