NBA: 76ers All-Star Guard Tyrese Maxey to miss at least 2 games

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey will miss at least the next two games after sustaining a hand injury in Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The team announced Sunday that Maxey suffered a sprain to the fifth finger on his right hand. He will sit out Monday’s game at Cleveland and Tuesday’s home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies while undergoing additional testing and as the team determines a treatment plan.

Maxey was injured in the final moments of the loss when he collided with teammate Adem Bona while attempting a steal. He immediately grabbed his right hand and did not return to the court. The timing of the injury comes at a critical stretch for the Sixers, who are fighting to avoid the play-in tournament. As of Sunday, Philadelphia is one loss behind sixth-place Orlando, the final playoff spot that would bypass the play-in.

The team’s margin for error has been thin for weeks. Paul George is serving a 25-game suspension, and Joel Embiid has been in and out of the lineup due to knee issues, including missing the past four games.

Maxey has been a constant for the Sixers this season, earning his second All-Star selection and putting up career-best averages of 29.0 points, 6.7 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 61 games, all starts.

For Maxey, the missed games also have implications for individual awards, as he is four games short of the 65-game threshold. However, the immediate concern is the severity of the sprain and how quickly the swelling and pain subside once testing is completed.

—Field Level Media/Reuters