The Philadelphia 76ers will be without their most consistent player, Tyrese Maxey, for at least the next two games.
The All-Star guard has been ruled out with a strained fifth finger on his right hand after being injured in Philadelphia's 125-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
Maxey was injured when he collided with Hawks big man Adem Bonner while scrambling for the ball in the final seconds. The defender remained on the floor for a moment, clasping his right hand, before eventually standing, hand wrapped around the bottom of his jersey, and heading toward the locker room.
Charania reported that Maxey “will undergo further testing and next steps in counseling” before determining when he will return to court.
The injury comes at a difficult time for Philadelphia, which is already dealing with a series of absences in the lineup.
Maxey is having the best season of his career and has been one of the league's most efficient guards all year. The 76ers star averaged career-highs of 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field.
Maxey has been the only constant player on the court during a season in which Philadelphia has at times looked capable of contending in the Eastern Conference.
But the Sixers' roster is rarely complete.
Joel Embiid has missed the team's last four games with a strained right oblique muscle and is not expected to be reevaluated until March 14, meaning he will miss at least three more games. Paul George signed a max contract with the team in 2024 and is currently suspended for 25 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.
Philadelphia also recently lost Rookie of the Year contender VJ Edgecombe, who has missed the past three games with a lower back contusion.
Despite the setback, the 76ers remain firmly in contention for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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