Tyrese Maxey finds ways to bounce back. Eric Gordon produces when he receives extended minutes. And Guerschon Yabusele should demand a solid salary in free agency. Those three things stood out in the Sixers’ 109-103 victory over the Washington Wizards Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
It was hard to tell that Maxey was an elite scorer in the first half. The Sixers guard had eight points through two quarters on 3-of-13 shooting — including 1-of-10 on three-pointers.
But as an All-Star player, Maxey usually finds a way to elevate his game when needed. He followed up his poor first half with 14 third-quarter points on 6-for-10 shooting. He made 2-of-4 three-point attempts in the frame. Maxey finished the game with 29 points, with 21 coming after intermission on 8-for-14 shooting.
Some of Gordon’s best games have come in extended minutes due to the Sixers being undermanned. On those occasions, the guard doesn’t have to worry about being pulled from the game for a missed shot or mistake.
Wednesday was one of those nights. He got the start with Paul George sidelined. And Gordon responded with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting — including making 4-of-7 three-pointers.
The Sixers signed Yabusele to a one-year, veteran-minimum salary contract before this season. But he showed once again that he’ll command more than the $2 million salary he's making during next summer's free agency.
He finished with 21 points and tied a career-best with five three-pointers to go along with eight rebounds while starting at center. He played 34 minutes against the Wizards.
