How Tyrese Maxey’s Struggles in Knicks Series Exposed Sixers’ Other Issues

It seemed Tyrese Maxey broke free in the second quarter in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

The Knicks could not keep up with him in space, and even when they did, they were met with a shoulder bump that led to a midrange make for Maxey. The two-time All-Star enjoyed a shot-making display, scoring 15 of his 26 points in the second quarter.

“Maxey is back,” many fans thought, without knowing that he would score only seven more points the rest of the way.

THIS is exactly the player the Sixers need Tyrese Maxey to be, especially with Embiid out

Maxey’s shotmaking & scoring abilities are in an elite tier when he’s in his zone, and that is a skillset that is so incredibly important in the Playoffs pic.twitter.com/p3uSu6Bi4Q
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) May 7, 2026

Maxey continued to struggle in the Sixers’ 108-102 loss to New York, which sunk Philadelphia into a 2-0 series deficit. He could not impose his will in a fourth quarter that saw the Sixers muster only three points in the last six-and-a-half minutes.

The guard’s struggles exposed Philadelphia’s poor reserve production and its need for Joel Embiid down the stretch—issues the Sixers navigated against the Boston Celtics that now feel inescapable.

Why Maxey is struggling against the Knicks

It has been a frustrating start to the series for Maxey, who already has more turnovers in this span than he did during the entire Celtics series.

New York’s defense has not made life easy for him, between constant traps and Mikal Bridges’ point-of-attack defense. Maxey overcame that in the second period by playing off the ball and exploiting one-on-one opportunities, but that did not last.

“I jammed my finger in the second quarter,” Maxey told reporters after the game. “I didn't feel confident dribbling around a lot of the traps like I normally do or splitting them, so I was trying to get off the ball and trying to create actions, but that's fine. They can put two on the ball. I’m fine with that, but I just gotta get more comfortable making the reads.”

Maxey re-aggravated his right pinky—the same finger that he suffered a tendon strain against the Atlanta Hawks on March 7. That caused Maxey to miss 10 games, and he has worn a splint ever since.

That explains why his shot-making deteriorated in Game 2 against the Knicks. He recorded the same number of made shots and turnovers in the second half (three apiece).

Most of Maxey’s turnovers stemmed from New York’s defensive pressure. The Knicks frequently blitzed him out of pick-and-rolls and anticipated the passes he made, helping produce New York’s 23 points from turnovers.

Maxey may have led Philadelphia in scoring with 26 points, but he must find ways to make an impact even when his shot isn't falling, because the Knicks’ ferocious defense is not going anywhere.

Maxey is suffering from uncontrollable factors

Yet, the two-time All-Star deserves some grace, nursing his right pinky and playing 47 minutes. Maxey’s workload was extreme with Embiid missing Game 2 due to a sprained right ankle and right hip soreness. That prompted the Knicks to guard him even more tightly, which was fatal in the fourth quarter.

The Sixers played crisper defense than they did in Game 1 and pushed the pace in the first 36 minutes, which helped them remain competitive. But, when the game became more half-court centric, the Sixers did not have Embiid’s advantage creation to settle them down.

Instead, Maxey endured help defense on every touch, and Philadelphia shot 4-of-19 from the field in the fourth quarter as a result.

Maxey’s excessive usage was also a byproduct of the Sixers’ nonexistent bench production, especially in the backcourt. Philadelphia has not had a guard whom it can turn to when Maxey is facing pressure, as Quentin Grimes has been unreliable. He has scored in double figures just twice this playoffs, but the Sixers’ other backcourt options are Kyle Lowry and Dalen Terry.

I’m sorry to do the Jared McCain thing again

But he couldn’t have given you 90 seconds in a playoff game to spell Maxey?

You were THAT confident he would be no help?

That is insane to me pic.twitter.com/mBenmPJLpK
— Aidan Powers (@aidan_34_powers) May 7, 2026

Not to beat a dead horse, but this is where the Jared McCain trade is coming back to bite the Sixers. Not adding any depth at the trade deadline may help Philadelphia’s 25-year Eastern Conference Finals drought.

“A little bit me. A little bit of both," Maxey said of his Game 2 struggles. "They did a good job of kind of taking away certain passes that I like to make when I get trapped and then it was a couple times we didn't just execute our trap offense. The trap came and then I tried to advance pass it and the advance guy didn't come up, and then now I'm stuck in the air, and I gotta do a better job with just dragging it out and being more poised.”

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