Tyrese Maxey immediately hugged Joel Embiid after they connected for an alley-oop slam in the second quarter on Tuesday. It extended the Philadelphia 76ers' lead over the Milwaukee Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Fans exploded after Maxey threw a perfect lob to Embiid, who then rammed it home in emphatic fashion.
The 31-year-old Embiid was pleasantly surprised that he could still catch a lob despite his knee injuries. Maxey said he had not seen it since his second year in the NBA. He also shared that he manifested the play.
“I told him before the game I was going to throw him a lob. That was kind of cool,” said Maxey in the halftime interview.
"My second year. Four years ago. I told him before the game I was going to throw him a lob… that was kinda cool."
Tyrese Maxey on the last time he saw Joel Embiid get up for an alley-oop jam 🗣pic.twitter.com/aUkKy2z9rl https://t.co/Q9R6VYjC5g
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 28, 2026
The 76ers held a nine-point lead at the break, 71-62.
Article Continues Below
Embiid was back in action after sitting out their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday. The Sixers lost, 130-93. Philadelphia stated before the season that Embiid won't play back-to-backs anymore to preserve his career.
The former MVP has been hampered by various injuries since he entered the NBA in 2014. He only played 58 games in the last two seasons.
Embiid has adjusted his game, including improving his outside shooting, to better deal with the physical rigors of the NBA.
Maxey, for his part, has been a constant supporter of Embiid, even campaigning for his inclusion in next month's All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Maxey has picked up the cudgels for the Sixers whenever Embiid is sidelined, but simply put, they are a much better team when they are together on the floor.