Crisis averted | Sports Daily Newsletter

In the third quarter Sunday, Tyrese Maxey awkwardly slipped on the court and was inadvertently struck in the back of the head by the leg of a Dallas Mavericks player. Maxey was in pain as he writhed on the court.

Here we go again, right? The way this season has gone downhill, Sixers fans were expecting the worst. Maxey was OK, though, and so are the Sixers. He shook it off, returned to the game, and finished with 24 points in a 120-116 victory.

The win was the second straight since Kyle Lowry and Mo Bamba were inserted into the starting lineup. It was also the second straight solid performance by Tobias Harris (a team-high 28 points), and Paul Reed was, once again, a beast coming off the bench. Maybe, Keith Pompey writes, the Sixers are jelling while they await the return of Joel Embiid.

Whenever Embiid is on the court, the Sixers are a team that opponents must reckon with. But David Murphy says they need to find a way to build a supporting cast that is not so dependent upon him.

Next: The Sixers visit the Brooklyn Nets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (NBCSP).

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Nick Sirianni said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the offense will be a “meshing of two systems,” backing off the idea that Kellen Moore would be in charge of the offense. So whose scheme will the offense reflect more of? And how much leeway will Moore get with putting in his playbook? It will be interesting to see this play out.

If the offense was predictable and stale, maybe it could use a third receiver in Texas speedster Xavier Worthy. He broke the combine’s record for fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.21 seconds.

There’s also MarShawn Lloyd, a running back prospect who’s a Wilmington native and reminiscent of D’Andre Swift. And the Eagles, of course, are always interested in adding offensive linemen in the draft.

There was a time when a situation like this would cause Cristian Pache to overanalyze all the things he cannot control. As he fights for a spot on the Phillies’ 26-man roster, Pache has worked on strengthening his mind, specifically using meditation and breathing exercises to help improve his focus and manage stress. It’s showing on the field this spring.

Prospect Griff McGarry hit rock bottom on the mound last year. But the Phillies think it can be a catalyst for change to try to solve his command issues and possibly salvage his career.

Former Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock found work as a blackjack dealer after being fired. Now he’s back in the game, using his new job to find seats at the table for others like him.

Next: The Phillies will play the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., on Monday at 1:05 p.m. Radio coverage of the game will be on MLB.com.

The Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division with 71 points through their first 62 games. There are 20 games to go in their quest to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2020.

It won’t be easy. In their season-ending stretch, the Flyers will face six teams above them in the standings, and they’ll see the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers twice each.

Among the Flyers’ prospects, 18-year-old Denver Barkey has been lighting it up in the Ontario Hockey League. On Sunday, the Flyers rewarded Barkey with a three-year, entry-level contract, starting in the 2024-25 season.

Next: The Flyers host the St. Louis Blues tonight at 7 (NBCSP).

A college referee working MLS games during the lockout of top-level officials blew an easy call that led directly to the tying goal for the Union on Saturday in a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City. Union manager Jim Curtin and everyone else knew it.

Next: The Union host Club Pachuca in the Concacaf Champions Cup at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Bruce Rubin is still going strong at age 80 after surviving cancer. The Lansdale resident has been a regular basketball participant at the National Senior Games since 2009. He’s hoping his team can enter the event in 2025, but it could use some reinforcements. “A tall old guy,” Rubin says. Jeff Neiburg has Rubin’s story.

March 3, 1983: Steve Carlton signed a four-year contract with the Phillies worth $4.15 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher in major league history. In 1982, Carlton led the National League with 23 wins.

UnCovering the Birds host Jeff McLane of The Inquirer joined two other Birds beat reporters, Zach Berman and Jimmy Kempski, for a roundtable discussion about the team’s offseason. From the leadership of Nick Sirianni to Jalen Hurts’ future to Howie Roseman’s roster strategies, they covered it all. Listen here.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Alex Coffey, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jeff Neiburg, Mia Messina, Brooke Ackerman, Owen McCue, and Josh Verlin.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s all for today, folks. See you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim