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Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, short-handed Sixers fall short in loss to Nuggets

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers invaded Ball Arena in Denver to face the Nuggets on Monday night looking to end this grueling stretch on a high note. Monday’s contest marked the end of a four-game road trip as well as a stretch where they have played seven of eight games on the road.

In order to end a two-game skid on Monday, they would have to do so while being short-handed. Joel Embiid was out due to his calf tightness and James Harden missed his fourth straight game due to left Achilles soreness. The Sixers were able to stay in the game due to the play of Tyrese Maxey, but it wasn’t enough as the Nuggets eventually pulled away for a 116-111 victory after they led by as many as 22.

Maxey had 29 points, with 25 coming in the first half, to lead Philadelphia, Paul Reed had 16 and nine rebounds, Tobias Harris added 16 points and five rebounds, and De’Anthony Melton had seven points, but on 3-for-12 shooting. Georges Niang hopped off the bench and had eight points while Jalen McDaniels had 14.

Here are the player grades following a tough loss:

Tyrese Maxey: B+

After a bit of a slow start, Maxey was able to get going on the offensive end. He had some really tough finishes in the paint and that allowed him to get into a rhythm. He knocked down a triple in the second quarter and let the Nuggets know about it as he continued his strong offensive play as of late. He was just too quick for a lot of Denver’s defenders as he was able to get to the rim and convert for easy buckets. However, on the defensive end, he did lose Jamal Murray a few times for open triples. After halftime, the Nuggets focused their defensive attention on him and they limited what he could do by sending waves of defenders toward him.

De'Anthony Melton: D

The start for Melton wasn’t great. He got lost on a few defensive rotations which allowed the Nuggets to get open for 3s and he also missed a slew of open looks. He was better in the second quarter when he was able to finally get some shots to fall, but other than a quick stretch, there wasn’t much to offer. Overall, it just wasn’t a great night for Melton as he had his issues on both ends.

Tobias Harris: B

To begin the game, Harris was the only consistent source of offense for the Sixers. He knocked down a couple of triples early and that allowed him to get into a rhythm. He and Maxey were in sync on the offensive end all night and Denver truly didn’t have an answer for either of them. Those two kept the Sixers in this one and led them on the offensive end. He could have been a bit more assertive, but he got his points when he could get them.

PJ Tucker: D+

The Nuggets really are a tough matchup for Tucker. They offer so much athleticism, size, and length and it can be tough for the veteran to make a big impact. However, when he defended Jokic, he got into him and bothered him. While somebody like Aaron Gordon can be a tough player for him to defend, Tucker deserves credit for his work on Joker. However, in the bigger picture, Gordon grabbed a few offensive rebounds over him for easy buckets and then he missed his corner triples. He wasn’t able to contribute much.

Dewayne Dedmon: D+

Drawing the start in place of Embiid, the veteran big man had his struggles. Jokic went right at him and made life tough on the 33-year-old, but Dedmon does deserve credit for playing good help defense. He had a block in the first quarter due to a smart rotation. He did make an impact as a weakside shot-blocker and he made an effort to communicate defensively, but that was all the positives that could be said.

Paul Reed: A-

The Reed minutes were very good in this one. The energy he brought off the bench was helpful as he was constantly attacking the offensive glass and he wasn’t forcing too much. He was playing with himself and finishing at the basket. If he didn’t have a shot, he smartly passed it back out. He then knocked down a baseline jumper in the second half and he was terrific on the defensive end coming up with some impressive blocks. This was a terrific Reed game.

Georges Niang: B+

On both ends of the floor, Niang was helpful. He moved his feet on the defensive end to stay in front of Denver’s guards and he knocked down a corner triple to give them a spark. He got hit below the belt by Michael Porter Jr. which caused him to fall to the ground for a bit, but he fought through it in order to help the Sixers.

Jalen McDaniels: B

As he continues to work his way back from that hip injury, McDaniels had a few nice moments in this one. He was helpful on the glass and he did have a tough bucket as he converted while being fouled. Overall, he shot well, he looked like he was moving better, and the Sixers will take more of this moving forward.

Danuel House Jr.: B-

Returning from a two-game absence, House Jr. immediately made an impact entering the game. He forced a turnover and then went the other way for a score after Denver was called for a goaltend. His athleticism is a welcomed aspect for this group.

Shake Milton: D

The initial run for Milton wasn’t great. He committed a couple of turnovers and he wasn’t able to make an impact with his scoring or his passing as he has been able to in recent games. Overall, he wasn’t able to produce in a positive way in this one.

The bench unit

The bench unit played with a ton of energy in the fourth quarter. Jaden Springer, Montrezl Harrell, Furkan Korkmaz, McDaniels, and Milton played their hearts out and the Sixers were within 114-111 with less than 30 seconds to go. Coach Doc Rivers could have thrown the starters back in, but they were playing so well that it made sense to let them ride it out. Springer has shown good potential as a two-way player in this league.

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