The Philadelphia 76ers will be without one of their most important players for the immediate future.
The team announced Tuesday that star guard Tyrese Maxey suffered a tendon injury in his right pinkie and will undergo reevaluation in approximately three weeks.
Maxey suffered the injury late in Philadelphia’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. With just 16 seconds remaining, Maxey collided with teammate Adem Bona during a play and immediately grabbed his right hand. He quickly walked off the court and headed directly to the locker room while holding his hand under his jersey.
Initial tests revealed no fractures, but further evaluation revealed the tendon issue.
Head coach Nick Nurse addressed the situation following Philadelphia’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, as first reported in an article published on ESPN.com.
“Obviously, it’s a huge blow for him,” Nurse said after the game. “He’s having an all-NBA season. Just hoping it heals really, really quick, and he gets back to where it doesn’t bother him at all. He’s obviously played tremendous. Obviously puts us in a bind with some of the other guys out, too. Just hopefully these two or three weeks will whiz by and he’ll be ready to go.”
Maxey has been enjoying the best season of his career. Across 61 games, he is averaging career highs with 29 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, two steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
His scoring production currently ranks fourth in the NBA. The 76ers guard holds the highest scoring average by a 76ers guard since Allen Iverson during the 2005-06 season.
Maxey’s impact has also extended to the defensive side. He is the only player in the NBA this season with at least 100 steals and 50 blocks.
Philadelphia has been noticeably stronger with Maxey in the lineup. The 76ers are 33-28 with him available compared to 2-2 in games he has missed.
The timing of the injury is difficult for a team already dealing with absences from other key players. Joel Embiid has missed five straight games with a right oblique strain, while Paul George is currently serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.
Over the last two seasons, Philadelphia has played just 31 games with Embiid, George and Maxey all available.
Maxey also leads the NBA in minutes per game and total miles traveled this season, reflecting the heavy workload he has carried for the team.
The 76ers currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. With the regular season concluding April 12, Maxey’s return timeline could also impact his eligibility for All-NBA honors if he misses additional games.