PHILADELPHIA — The Wells Fargo Center crowd rose to cheer at the end of Tuesday’s first quarter, an acknowledgment of the 76ers’ small victory.
Those same spectators then leaped to their feet just before the third-quarter buzzer, when a tip-in by Andre Drummond put the Sixers back on top of the Milwaukee Bucks by two points.
Then, they chanted “DE-FENSE!” with 6 minutes, 21 seconds to play, after a bucket by Shake Milton had given the Sixers a one-point advantage.
But the severely shorthanded Sixers, on the second night of a back-to-back set, could not sustain the celebration with the NBA champions in the building. The Bucks made enough plays down the stretch to top the hosts, 118-109.
Still, the Sixers put together another inspired performance against one of the league’s elite. They built a 13-point first-half advantage, hung around in the third after the Bucks seized the lead, made a charge late in that period and had a one-point lead with less than five minutes to play before Milwaukee pulled away late.
Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, plus Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe, remained out due to health and safety protocols. Sharpshooting guard Seth Curry missed Tuesday’s game with a foot contusion. One night earlier, the Sixers clawed back from 19 down against the Knicks but could not get over the hump in a 103-96 defeat.
The Sixers have followed their surprising six-game winning streak with a two-game skid. They will aim to get back on the winning track Thursday against Toronto, before departing for a season-long six-game road trip beginning Saturday at Indiana.
Maxey’s outburst
With about four minutes left in the first quarter, Danny Green swung a pass to Tyrese Maxey in the right corner and said something to his teammate. Whatever the message, it encouraged Maxey to fire away, draining the three-pointer to give the Sixers a 26-20 lead.
That was part of a 17-point outburst in the first for Maxey, the highest scoring total in a quarter in his young career. And it ignited a 31-point effort, the second-highest of his career, including a go-ahead layup with less than six minutes to play.
It was the latest excellent performance from the first-time starting point guard who turned 21 years old less than a week ago. He entered Tuesday with 31 assists against just five turnovers over his previous five games, despite playing such heavy minutes that coach Doc Rivers barred him from the practice facility on Sunday.
A couple minutes after that corner 3, he hit a tough floater. With less than a minute remaining in the period, he knocked down another three-pointer to push the Sixers’ lead to 37-30. He received a rousing ovation when he went to the bench.
Maxey’s fingerprints were also all over the third quarter. His and-1 finish early in the period cut the Bucks’ lead to 68-63, before a transition bucket got the Sixers within 71-70 with less than eight minutes remaining in the frame. His off-the-dribble three-pointer reduced Milwaukee’s advantage to 84-80 at the 3:29 mark. Then, he found Drummond in transition for a game-tying dunk late in the quarter.
Patchwork lineup
Drummond was the last player introduced as a starter Tuesday night, spearheading a patchwork group that also included Maxey, Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz and Paul Reed.
Drummond followed Monday’s 25-rebound performance with 20 boards against the Bucks, to go along with 17 points and three assists.
Frontcourt-mate Paul Reed, meanwhile, drew the assignment of guarding two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo two games. Reed blocked the Greek Freak at the rim — and jawed a bit in the aftermath — which led to a Maxey finish at the other end. Reed’s defense on Antetokounmpo came two games after guarding Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan in his first NBA start.
That starting lineup meant Green and Georges Niang were the Sixers’ primary bench players. Niang started scorching hot from beyond the arc, connecting on his first four three-pointers in the first half to help propel Philly’s lead to 45-35 early in the second quarter. He finished with 21 points on 5-of-8 from three-point range, but fouled out in the final minute after struggling during his spurts of guarding Antetokoumpo.
Bassey minutes
Rivers said before the game that he planned to play 10 Sixers against the Bucks. In reality, he deployed an eight-man rotation, with rookie big man Charles Bassey getting his first meaningful NBA regular-season action.
Bassey, whose on-court availability was delayed due to a contract dispute, finished with zero points on 0-for-1 shooting and one rebound. His highlight moment came in the second quarter, when his block on Antetokounmpo led to a Milton three-pointer.
That short rotation meant Korkmaz played 45 minutes, Milton played 41 and Maxey played 39.
