‘Sore Loser’: Sixers’ Maxey Struggles Watching Heat vs. Celtics
The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves eliminated from the 2023 NBA Playoffs two Sundays ago after a beatdown in Boston ensued.
Although the Sixers had an opportunity to put the Boston Celtics away twice during the Eastern Conference Semifinals round, Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers struggled to get the job done.
Now, the Sixers guard admits he’s having a hard time watching the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
According to Maxey’s tweet about the game on Sunday night, he can’t watch the games comfortably because he jokingly described himself as a sore loser in .GIF form.
The Sixers understand they fumbled a major opportunity to advance past the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Had they closed out the Celtics in Games 6 or 7, it would’ve been the first time the Sixers made it past the second round since 2001.
Unfortunately, two-straight losses to the Celtics caused the Sixers to pack their bags early instead.
The series loss to the Celtics marked the end of the third-straight playoff run that Maxey participated in. Back in 2021, the former Kentucky standout was a late first-round pick, picking up inconsistent minutes in the postseason as the Sixers faced the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks in the postseason.
The 2021 second-round series against the Hawks resembled this year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Celtics, as it went to a Game 7. When the Sixers closed out the 2021 run, Maxey finished the playoffs by averaging just 13 minutes on the floor, producing six points per game while hitting on just 33 percent of his threes.
On a personal note, Maxey leveled up in the postseason over the last two runs with increased playing time. Over the span of the Sixers’ last 23 playoff games, Maxey has averaged 21 points, three assists, and four rebounds while knocking down nearly 40 percent of his threes.
Maxey’s steady improvement can serve as somewhat of a consolation prize for the Sixers for now, but the young guard will likely find motivation in watching two Eastern Conference teams battle out in the third round for the third-straight season.
