For the first time this season, Tyrese Maxey did not reach the 20-point mark and the Sixers bench was very good in the easy victory in Milwaukee. This is what jumps out when you look at the stats sheet. But when the Bucks attempted a comeback in the 4th quarter, to the point of returning to -12, it was Paul George who took the match into their own hands with mid-range baskets but also a nice pass for a 3-pointer from VJ Edgecombe.
In the end, “PG” finished with 20 points, and it was almost a relief for him after months and months of struggle. “I keep emphasizing how much Tyrese brings, how much he gives. But it’s nice when you can take some of the pressure off him, that he doesn’t have to work as hard, that he doesn’t have to do everything.” replies the former Clippers winger. “I was aware of it coming in tonight, and I’m the freshest physically. I just wanted to get us on a good track. It was just my state of mind. My physique is starting to come back. I’m blessed to be healthy, and I’m just trying to get through the games.”
Four times named to All-Defensive Teams
Seventh with 13 wins for 9 losses, the Sixers are hanging on, and Paul George underlines the atmosphere that reigns in the team. “It’s night and day! I don’t want to compare to last year’s team, which was great, but this year there is something unique” he continues. “We have built cohesion. Some have been playing together for two years. It’s developing. It’s nice to win. There’s a great energy, and our leaders are leading the way.”
On a personal level, the winger is rediscovering a taste for defensive effort, and he intends to once again become one of the best “two-way players” in the NBA. “The coaches and my teammates let me be myself. They allow me to read the game, to react,
to sometimes be a free safety, or a linebacker who calls actions and coverages. One of the first things Nick said to me when he came in this season was, ‘Help us in defense.’ I wasn’t named to All-Defensive Teams for nothing. I love defending!”
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