After two weeks of speculation and fanfare, it was finally time to play. With some of the game's brightest stars on display on the world's biggest stage, and with some parties involved looking for validation while others looked for revenge, the game everyone waited for anxiously was finally here.
The Sixers fell to a Bucks team missing two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo by a score of 135-127 on Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. Here is what stood out from a game you might have been too preoccupied to watch:
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey dominate, but Sixers defense struggles
There was absolutely no stopping the Sixers' two best players in the opening frame. Joel Embiid scored seven points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting in the first two minutes and change, but was only getting started at that point. In seven minutes and change in the first quarter, the former NBA MVP tormented Milwaukee's defense, scoring 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting, including a trio of connections from beyond the arc:
Joel Embiid came ready to play 🔋
Hits his 3rd 3 for 15 PTS just 7 minutes into the game!
📺 Sixers-Bucks on ABC pic.twitter.com/ZGnxA2sjUx— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025
But as Embiid got going, so did Maxey, who was quickly in double-figures himself playing alongside Embiid. When Embiid checked out and Maxey took complete ownership of the team's offense for the remainder of the opening frame, he exploded. Maxey's incredible blend of speed and shot-making talents gave Bucks head coach Doc Rivers all sorts of problems as he tried to combat Maxey's brilliance with subpar defensive personnel.
Maxey scored 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting — with three triples of his own — while playing the entirety of the first quarter. Maxey entered Sunday's game with a streak of 17 straight 25-plus-point games, and has been extremely efficient during that span. His revitalized offense paired with a newfound ability to be a significant playmaker on the defensive end of the floor is a special combination.
Despite Embiid and Maxey combining for 35 points in the opening frame, the Bucks held a 40-39 lead after 12 minutes. Both offenses struggled a bit in the second quarter, but Embiid and Maxey led an 8-0 Sixers run in the final minutes of the half. When Paul George left Gary Trent Jr. open for a split second too long, the Bucks' veteran sharpshooter beat the buzzer with a triple that gave the Bucks a 65-63 lead entering intermission despite Maxey (26 points) and Embiid (24 points) combining for 50 big ones.
SIXERS' DUO COMBINES FOR 50 IN THE 1H!
Maxey: 26 PTS | 64.7 FG%
Embiid: 24 PTS | 60.0 FG%
They trail MIL 65-63 at halftime on ABC 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Pyc3X27BVI— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2025
In the third quarter, Embiid and Maxey finally cooled off a bit. The Bucks kept on surging, outscoring the Sixers 38-28 in the frame. The Sixers were fine offensively, but could not get nearly enough stops or rebounds to keep up. They entered the final frame trailing by a dozen, and the Bucks landed their knockout blow with an early run in the fourth quarter.
Odds and ends
A batch of other notes and takeaways from Sunday afternoon's game:
• The ESPN broadcast had plenty of celebration during this matchup for the storied basketball career of 91-year-old Hubie Brown, the legendary coach and broadcaster who was on the call for his final broadcast.
after 50+ years in the NBA as broadcaster and coach, Hubie Brown will be calling his last game today.
congratulations on a legendary career! 👏 pic.twitter.com/8fB2bpisR7— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 9, 2025
ESPN's pregame panelists shared their favorite things about Hubie Brown before tip-off, so I'll do the same. Something that always stood out to me watching games Hubie called was his sheer excitement when a player would flash signs of untapped potential. Everyone now recalls the famous "THERE YA GO," but I also recall Hubie giving an impassioned reminder that 'THAT'S THERE FOR THIS GUY!" when a player finally started to break through. The coach in him came out during those moments.
In my view, the least desirable trait in a sports broadcaster is someone who conveys no enjoyment of the product. Hubie never fell into that basket.
• Speaking of broadcasters, ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters reported a pretty significant detail during the second quarter of the game, saying that Embiid told her he expects his left knee to require another surgery and an extensive period of time off to recover for it to get back to where it was. His recovery from last year's torn meniscus was shortened, as he underwent surgery in the beginning of February and made a return to the floor in early April to get ready for the playoffs. Embiid also played in the Olympics over the summer.
• Guerschon Yabusele returned for the Sixers in this one after missing Friday's loss due to soreness in a knee which has bothered him here and there for the last few weeks. Yabusele was initially slated to start, but shortly before tip-off the Sixers made a change, listing Justin Edwards as their starter with Yabusele available off the bench. With the Bucks starting a lineup on the smaller side outside of Brook Lopez, going with Edwards was the logical call. Just a few hours before the game began, Edwards' conversion from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal was made official.
• Two-way point guard Jared Butler, acquired from the Washington Wizards in a trade last week, made his Sixers debut to open the second quarter. He scored on a cut and grabbed a pair of rebounds in just under four minutes during his first stint on the floor.
first Philly bucket for @J_Hooper11 💪 pic.twitter.com/H7ZIfccRwM
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 9, 2025
• Fellow newcomer Quentin Grimes was Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's first substitution off the bench, and an early triple he knocked down showed the vision the team has for him as a dynamic shot-maker playing alongside the team's core of star players.
.@qdotgrimes for three! 👌 pic.twitter.com/gmiSHPPHjl
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) February 9, 2025
• With Grimes and Butler in the rotation, Nurse opted to go with an extremely small grouping of players. His bench was made up of Grimes, Butler, Yabusele and veteran guards Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon. This left both of the team's true backup centers, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona, on the outside looking in.
Up next: The Sixers will have a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday before the All-Star break. On Tuesday, they will play host to the Toronto Raptors, before heading to Brooklyn for a matchup with the Nets the next day.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
