Doc Rivers' Message to Sixers 'Hit Home' for Tyrese Maxey

The Philadelphia 76ers' path to the 2022 NBA Finals hasn't been easy so far. While they got off to an excellent start in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, as the Sixers had a 3-0 lead to begin the postseason, they've lost more than they've won since pinning the Raptors' backs against the wall.

After failing to sweep the Raptors, the Sixers lost two-straight games. By the time Game 6 rolled around, they found a way to dominate and put away the Raptors for good. From there, the Sixers advanced to the second round of the playoffs to face the top-seeded Miami Heat.

The Sixers preached that Toronto prepared them well for their second-round series, considering they played highly physical. Since the Heat are one of the NBA's most physical squads, the 76ers knew the second round would be a tough fight.

So far, Philly is losing that bout, though. In Game 1, the Sixers found themselves in an early hole, which they climbed out of before halftime. Despite garnering a lead before the second half, the Sixers lost control and took on a double-digit loss.

The results of Game 2 were similar. Once again, the Sixers put up a good fight and kept on battling until the end. Unfortunately, the Heat got everything they wanted in Game 2 and were simply the better team.

Now, the Sixers find themselves down 2-0 going into Game 3 on Friday night. Just because they fell behind early doesn't mean the 76ers are hanging their heads. Doc Rivers made it clear to his team that the second-round series versus Miami would be similar to a boxing match. Therefore, they have to find a way to deliver the knockout punches first, rather than finding ways to respond to the Heat's strikes.

Tyrese Maxey Buys Into the Message

In the first half of Game 2, Tyrese Maxey had an off showing. After receiving words of encouragement from his head coach, Maxey turned his play up a notch in the second half as he scored 23 of his 34 total points in 22 minutes.

While Maxey's second-half resurgence couldn't put the Sixers out in front to help them steal a win on the road, the young guard is going into Game 3 with a fighter's mentality after a Game 2 defeat.

"We gotta hit first," said Maxey on Wednesday night. "Coach Doc said something in the locker room before the game about, 'Let’s not be a counter punching team tonight.' I think that really hit home."

With a day off and the crowd now on their side, Maxey believes the Sixers will have a better chance of putting up a better fight early in Game 3.

"I was really thinking about that before the game," Maxey continued. "As a team, we gotta hit them first. We gotta go after them first and put them on their heels. If we can put them on their heels, we can take control of the game, and then it’s in our hands after that.”

The Sixers know it won't be an easy battle on Friday night. But they're also aware of the fact that as long as they avoid playing from behind early, it's really anybody's game. As long as Maxey and the rest of the team can get on the same page from the jump, the Sixers have a real shot at getting on the board on Friday night.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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