The sliding Philadelphia 76ers have their work cut out for them as they endeavor to stop Anthony Edwards and the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Sunday.
It will be the second leg of a back-to-back road set for the Sixers, whose losing streak stretched to four — all by double digits — with a 126-111 defeat against the lowly Pelicans in New Orleans on Saturday.
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse admits his team, which has been without Joel Embiid (right knee and shin injury) for all four of those losses, is in a difficult space.
“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s really tough. Certainly our toughest moment of the season, for sure — all year, without question. We’ve got to get back to being able to play the 48 (minutes).”
Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 28.9 points per game, had a game-high 27 in New Orleans. But his haul came on a ragged 9 of 23 from the floor, including 2 of 11 from deep.
Across his past seven games, Maxey has shot 41.4% from the field and 25.4% from 3-point range.
He has cooled off after his blistering start to the season, with opposition sides now throwing extra attention his way.
“Obviously, he’s getting a lot of focus,” Nurse said. “They (opponents) are putting two on the basketball a lot, they’re parking another defender in the lane, so there’s a lot that he’s looking at there. … Earlier in the year, he was getting freer movement than he’s ever had, and we just haven’t been able to find that (since).”
In Minnesota, Edwards bumped his season scoring average to a career-best 29.5 as he continues to add new weapons to his burgeoning repertoire.
Fresh off being crowned All-Star Game MVP, Edwards poured in 40 points to lead the Timberwolves to a 122-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Minneapolis on Friday.
It was Minnesota’s third straight win and the 27th 40-plus haul of Edwards’ career.
His performance in the clutch against Dallas stood out.
Subbing in with the score locked at 103 midway through the fourth quarter, Edwards single-handedly outscored the Mavericks 14-8 down the stretch, with a combination of 3-pointers, drives, pullups and turnarounds.
“Ant was awesome,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “He finished the game like he can. I thought his shot selection was really good for the most part — took the right shots. In clutch time, he got to his spots, pretty simply.”
Edwards, who had been accused of settling predictably for 3s in big moments, is mixing it up more now.
He credited Finch’s tough love for him extracting the best form of his career.
“Finchy, I’m not going to lie, he’s the toughest coach I’ve ever had,” Edwards said. “But it works out in my favor because he tells me what I need to work on and what I need to get better at. The past summer, he told me I needed a go-to shot at the end of games. And I was working on that all summer, finding my spots, getting to the spots I’m comfortable in. He’s a big part of my success, honestly.”
Rudy Gobert posted 22 points and 17 rebounds against the Mavericks, but his flagrant foul in the second quarter — his seventh of the season — triggered a one-game suspension, sidelining him for the 76ers clash.
Philadelphia and Minnesota have met 68 times overall, for a 34-all split. The Timberwolves took both encounters last season.
