NEW YORK — The Sixers have added a questionable second-team All-Star ahead of Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Knicks.
Tyrese Maxey was not present for the Sixers' shootaround Monday morning due to illness and the team listed him as questionable for his game that night.
The MVP finalist played 37.5 minutes per game this regular season and 44 minutes Saturday in the Sixers' series-opening loss.
Maxey had a tough second quarter in Game 1, shooting 2-for-9 from the floor in the period, but was pivotal to the team's comeback in the second half. The 23-year-old guard scored 21 points after halftime on 9-for-12 shooting.
The Sixers went 4-8 this season without Maxey. One of those victories was a memorable 79-73 win at Madison Square Garden on March 10 in which Maxey advanced through the NBA's concussion protocols.
As of late Monday morning, Joel Embiid (recovering from left knee injury) remained doubtful. DeAnthony Milton (recovering from back injury) and Robert Covington (left knee bone bruise) are out.
According to Sixers coach Nick Nurse, Embiid told him his left knee felt “pretty good” on Sunday after a troubling play in Game 1 that caused the star center to miss the final 2:37 of the second quarter.
After the Sixers' defensive rebounding struggles in the series opener, Nurse said stints in which Embiid plays alongside backup big man Paul Reed are a “possibility” moving forward.
“For me, I'm just making sure I get my driving lanes and get to the point (place),” Reid said before firing up his approach to lineups with Embiid. “And sometimes cuts. I'm just trying to stay moving… to open the door for someone else. They'll always double (Embiid), so it's just making sure someone's open.”
Given the sub-optimal health of their stars, the Sixers would especially benefit from a stronger secondary. Kyle Lowry impressed with a 12-point third quarter in Game 1, but the Knicks' bench outscored the Sixers by a 42-7 margin.
Freshmen Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tobias Harris both shot 3-for-7 from the floor.
“One thing we talked about as a whole team is the offensive side, doing different things,” Harris said Monday. “And not be as predictable as we were from time to time in (the first game). But for me personally, I watch film and see different spots that I can shoot and be more aggressive, or let it fly a couple of times out of three. So I keep all that in mind and get ready for the game.”
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”