Tyrese Maxey, Sixers react to strange steal, dunk in win over Celtics

© Provided by Sixers Wire

BOSTON–With the Philadelphia 76ers trailing the Boston Celtics by one in the waning seconds of Game 1, a strange play happened on the floor.

The Celtics were moving the ball around and trying to get an open look, but they made one too many passes as the shot clock was winding down and Tyrese Maxey stepped in and stole it as the shot clock buzzer sounded. However, it wasn’t a shot clock violation.

Maxey stepped in front of a Malcolm Brogdon pass and took it the other way for a dunk to give the Sixers a 114-113 lead with 28.9 seconds left. It was an odd play as everybody thought that it was going to be a stop-ball, but instead, it was a big play that allowed Philadelphia to eventually win 119-115.

“I’m looking at the time when I closed out on (Jayson) Tatum and when he swung to Brogdon, they didn’t have enough time to make another pass,” Maxey said afterward. “I’m thinking Brogdon’s gonna shoot it so I’m ready to go crash. As soon as I saw him throw the ball, I caught it, and I just took off, but I’m glad I didn’t stop. I didn’t know. I heard a horn. I thought I heard the whistle, but I just kept going and laid it in.”

It was one of those strange plays that ended up working out for the Sixers and it was a play that they needed in order to steal an impressive Game 1 win.

“It was close, too,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He got it, but I was worried. Tyrese almost stopped. It was the strangest play. I think he thought, he heard a whistle he told us. So he almost didn’t lay the ball in which would’ve been even crazier, but going to that zone and switching on and off was really good for us.”

Maxey had his teammates yelling at him to keep going despite the confusion.

“They thought the shot clock went off so it was gonna be us taking the ball out. Tyrese didn’t hear me, but I was saying ‘Go! Go! Go finish that thing!’” laughed Tobias Harris. “That was a huge basket for us. That kind of really shifted the game. I mean, the game was shifting, but that was big for us to get that steal and get an easy lay in.”

Maxey and the Sixers will certainly take the win as they now turn their attention to Game 2 and look to take a 2-0 lead with them back to Philadelphia.

MORE:

James Harden discusses go-ahead shot over Al Horford in Game 1 win

Sixers’ Doc Rivers reacts to Joel Embiid being out for Game 1 vs. Celtics

Woj: Sixers have optimism Joel Embiid can play Game 2, unlikely for Game 1

Sixers discuss how to slow down Celtics stars Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown

Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey addresses his offensive struggles vs. Celtics