How a breakfast conversation with Tyrese Maxey foreshadowed Ricky Council IV’s ‘unreal’ game against the Wizards

WASHINGTON — When Tyrese Maxey ran into Ricky Council IV during breakfast at the 76ers’ hotel Saturday morning, the All-Star guard asked the undrafted rookie how he felt about receiving six first-half minutes against the Atlanta Hawks the previous night.

“He was like, ‘Yeah, I think I did OK. But I just feel like, if today if I get some more minutes, I’m going to go out there and show you what I can do,’ ” Maxey recalled of the conversation.

Council lived up to those confident words, and then some.

The 22-year-old guard on a two-way contract put together the best performance of his young NBA career for a Sixers team desperate for a victory. Council had 19 points and 10 rebounds in 29 high-energy minutes as a surprise member of the closing lineup to help his team hold off the Wizards in a 119-113 victory at Capital One Arena.

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“It’s unreal right now,” Council said. “I’m just glad I got the opportunity to be out there and was [trusted] in big moments. But once you’re out there, it’s pretty simple. Just play hard and be yourself.”

Veteran guard Buddy Hield, one of Council’s newest teammates, went as far as to say Council was “the reason we won the game tonight.” He scored seven points — and regularly flashed fiery emotion — in the final five minutes.

First, Council did not get flustered when Kyle Kuzma blocked his driving attempt, instead collecting the ball and laying it in to put the Sixers up, 104-96, at the 4:31 mark. Less than 30 seconds later, he elevated for a thunderous one-handed transition dunk. He then drew a trip to the free-throw line with less than two minutes to play, and grabbed an offensive rebound and putback with 45.9 seconds remaining to give the Sixers a 115-109 advantage and all but clinch the win.

That Council “automatically plays really hard” is the characteristic that stands out most to Sixers coach Nick Nurse — and is imperative right now for a team that entered Saturday with eight losses in its previous nine games while dealing with a bevy of injuries and illnesses. Council credits that relentless style with his upbringing as the youngest of four children, with two brothers and one sister who all also played college basketball.

“It was always a battle,” Council said. “So they know it.”

That workmanlike approach has naturally carried over to his professional career.

When Wilmington’s Chase Fieldhouse — the home of the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats but also a local multipurpose facility — is occupied, Council will drive to the Sixers’ facility in Camden to work with player development associate coach Toure’ Murry. During the Sixers’ recent road stop in Salt Lake City, Council and Murry went to the University of Utah for a solo workout. And while getting heavy minutes with the Blue Coats, Council has focused on sharpening a jumper that likely prevented him from being drafted despite his explosive athleticism and defensive capabilities.

“I just feel like I’m a dawg,” Council said. “A lot of people say it, but not a lot of people are about it. When I’m out there, I don’t know, I can’t really explain it. I don’t see nothing but the goal and my teammates. It don’t matter who out there: LeBron [James], whoever the best players in the world.

“Much respect to them, but I’m just out there trying to help my team.”

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Sixers teammates and staff have gotten glimpses of that mentality while Council has been up from the G League for much of the last month to provide insurance for a Sixers’ roster ravaged by injuries and illnesses.

He made his NBA debut on Jan. 2 against the Chicago Bulls, then scored his first point in a road victory at the Orlando Magic about two weeks later. He later had 11 points in a Jan. 25 loss at the Indiana Pacers, and had 17 in the fourth quarter in Wednesday’s already-decided loss to the Golden State Warriors. Yet while Maxey was recently sidelined with a sprained ankle, he said he told assistant coach Rico Hines, “Man, just try [Council].”

“He brings so much energy to the game,” Maxey said. “He loves playing basketball. When you love playing basketball, good things happen for you.”

Added Nurse: “He does everything that way: walk-throughs, shootarounds, practice. He’s one of those guys that’s got that kind of motor that’s always switched on. He does everything with good focus and intensity. It’s hard not to like that.”

Council acknowledges he was “really ready, really hungry” to play Friday, after the Sixers lost four players at the trade deadline and it was initially unclear if Hield and fellow newcomer Cameron Payne would be eligible to suit up against the Hawks. But when those two players were available, Council only received that short stint. Though that made him unsure how Saturday would unfold on the second night of a back-to-back, Council leaned on Murry’s “stay ready” mantra.

Hence, the breakfast conversation with Maxey.

“And I said, ‘All right, cool,’ ” Maxey said. “Him saying that, you don’t think much of it. But he went out there and he balled.”

With reserve center Mo Bamba becoming a day-of scratch because of knee soreness, the Sixers were already set to go small with Council, KJ Martin, and Tobias Harris as their big man options when starter Paul Reed was off the floor. Council then set an immediate tone with seven points — including four free-throw attempts originating from aggressive play — and three rebounds in five first-quarter minutes off the bench. And he felt comfortable because the Sixers were not running their “advanced” offensive sets while implementing Hield and Payne on the fly.

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“We’re keeping it simple right now,” Council said. “So it makes it even easier for me, because I know all those plays.”

Though Reed (12 points, seven rebounds) was an efficient 6-of-8 from the floor and Martin played strong defense, Nurse went with Council with the rest of Saturday’s starters down the stretch because “he just kept making plays. … We were just rolling with what was working.”

That decision paid off with Council’s impactful final minutes. And when teammates noticed the media scrum surrounding the rookie in the postgame locker room, they started hollering from afar.

“Yeah, Ricky!” De’Anthony Melton yelled. “Player of the game!”

“Rickyyyy!” Kelly Oubre Jr. echoed from the room’s opposite side.

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“They just trolling,” Council said in response. “It’s good, though. I’m glad they support me like I support them. Because [if] I play zero minutes, I play five minutes, they know I’m always on the bench jumping up and down. I’m happy to have that.”

Next, he was eager to replay the game film, in order to truly soak in the best performance of his young NBA career.

Even if he did exude confidence at breakfast that he was capable of such an outing.

“I was just too in the moment,” Council said, “but not in the moment at the same time.”