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Will Tyrese Maxey Return for Sixers vs. Magic?

What's Tyrese Maxey's playing status for the Philadelphia 76ers' matchup against the Orlando Magic on Friday?
Justin Grasso|
Jan 30, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) dribbles
Jan 30, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) dribbles | Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia 76ersOrlando Magic

Lately, Tyrese Maxey has been in and out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ lineup.

On March 31, the Sixers downgraded Maxey ahead of their matchup against the Toronto Raptors. The young veteran was dealing with hip tightness. As a result, he missed the 15-point victory over the Raptors, and found himself questionable moving forward.

When the Sixers returned home to host the Oklahoma City Thunder last Tuesday, Maxey missed the return of the superstar center, Joel Embiid. Although the one-time All-Star went through his pregame warmups in an attempt to play, Maxey was held out.

The setback didn’t result in a long-term string of absences. Last Thursday, Maxey returned to take on the Miami Heat. He checked in for 41 minutes, scoring 37 points and collecting nine rebounds, and producing 11 assists.

Maxey appeared on the court for the start of a back-to-back set, beginning with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies last Saturday. In a blowout victory, Maxey had an early night and went to the bench after just 25 minutes of action.

Then on Sunday, the guard played more minutes than he ever did in a single game against the San Antonio Spurs. Picking up 54 minutes of playing time, Maxey scored a career-high 52 points on 46 percent shooting. He also came down with five rebounds and produced seven assists in the double-overtime victory.

Hip tightness continued to linger for Maxey going into Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. While he was questionable to play, Maxey was ruled out beforehand, missing his third game in six outings.

Friday’s matchup against the Orlando Magic won’t make it two in a row for Tyrese. Barring any unexpected setbacks, the Sixers have Maxey listed as available against the Magic.

The Sixers and the Magic will go toe-to-toe at 7 PM ET on Friday.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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