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Tyrese Maxey has been living quite comfortably in this series.
Not in the sense that every shot is falling or every possession ends in points, but in the way that’s slightly concerning with every passing game. Through three games, he’s largely been getting to his spots and dictating pace. When the Sixers need something to settle a possession or tilt momentum, the ball finds him and the floor opens up just enough for something good to happen.
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Boston hasn’t fully solved him yet. You can’t expect to with a guy like him. Game 3 didn’t change that, but it did show how thin the margin is.
The Celtics won, 108–100, and now hold a 2–1 series lead. They closed it with experience, shot-making, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown doing what they’ve done for years now. But before that closing stretch, the game looked like it was tilting in a scary direction.
Maxey hit back-to-back threes midway through the fourth. Xfinity Mobile Arena was popping (even though the name “Xfinity Mobile Arena” feels utterly popless). For a moment, it felt like Game 2 all over again.
But after those two threes, Maxey didn’t score again.
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That’s the balance Boston is trying to find. Obviously, you’re not going to prevent Maxey from doing his thing. He’s simply too good to completely neutralize. But hitting him with at least a somewhat potent tranquilizer that wobbles him long enough to win the stretches that matter? The Celtics can do that.
Which is why the Jordan Walsh minutes in Game 2 still linger in my mind.
Maxey is still dictating the terms of this series
Maxey hasn’t really run into a matchup that changes how he plays yet. The tracking data makes that pretty clear.
Derrick White has taken most of the assignment, close to 12 minutes and over 50 possessions. That’s Boston’s best option on paper, and White has been solid. But Maxey is still getting into his spots. Three-for-seven shooting doesn’t scream dominance, but it also doesn’t force him out of anything. The offense is still very much flowing through him without much resistance.
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Publish date : 2026-04-25 14:22:00
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