The Sixers are back: Maxey and Edgecombe spark surge in New York

Last season was a nightmare in Philadelphia. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Injuries gradually eroded the confidence of a group that eventually sank to the bottom of the standings. That collapse at least delivered the No. 3 pick in the draft, which they used to select Bahamian guard VJ Edgecombe. With the benefit of hindsight, the choice has proved inspired: the shooting guard is now one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year. That was the moment the franchise’s fortunes began to turn, and the recovery has gathered pace ever since.

Their win on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York, 130–119 – the second time they have won there this season – puts them five games above .500 for the first time at 19–14, just half a game back of fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Tyrese Maxey has definitively taken control of the team and is now the clear focal point of the offense. He finished with 36 points, hitting six of nine from three-point range. It was a trajectory that had been building over recent seasons and has only been reinforced this year. Edgecombe, a genuine live wire who lifts everyone around him with his sheer presence and contributes across every facet of the game, added 26 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

The good news does not stop there. Joel Embiid appears to be enjoying yet another resurrection, scoring at least 20 points in each of his last eight games. He had 26 on the night, along with 10 rebounds and five assists – and capped it with his first dunk of the season on the game’s final basket. The play sparked the entire Sixers bench to its feet in celebration alongside the center. The team’s strong run of form is mirrored by the positive atmosphere in the locker room. “I said it at the start of the season. We were in a really deep hole that we had to climb out of, and we’re still digging,” head coach Nick Nurse said.

For the Knicks, this was a third straight loss. They pointed to the back-to-back schedule as a factor, and there is some truth in that. The Sixers overwhelmed them physically from the second quarter on, but that is also because this Philadelphia team is among the most dynamic in the NBA right now – and should become even more so once Kelly Oubre returns. All they were missing was belief, and they are finding it again. Philadelphia are forcing their way through an Eastern Conference that is wide open for anyone bold enough to take it.

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