The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off an impressive 139-122 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, and this was quite a satisfying way to make amends after losing by 37 points to the Charlotte Hornets a few days ago. Paul George, in particular, was back in the lineup with a vengeance. He put up 32 points on nine made triples, powering the 76ers past the plucky Bucks with an incredible third-quarter flurry.
The 76ers are brimming with confidence, and with George, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey getting into a rhythm as a trio, Philly can become impossible to stop on any given night. And considering the ceiling of this team, they are right to feel this much confidence. As a matter of fact, George believes that the 76ers are in the same echelon as the likes of the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers as far as Eastern Conference contenders go.
“Absolutely. I think we're right there with the New York Knicks, with the Clevelands [of the world]. I think we're right in the mix,” George said, per Ky Carlin of USA Today's Sixers Wire.
The 76ers have to tighten up their defense, and they have to be healthy come playoff time to be able to make some noise. But they clearly have the talent to do so, it's just a matter of playing their best basketball at the perfect time.
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76ers hit their stride on Tuesday in win over Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) celebrates with guard Tyrese Maxey (0) after their alley oop dunk connection against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
When the 76ers' heavy hitters are firing on all cylinders, they become ridiculously difficult to stop. They've been the Tyrese Maxey show for most of the season, but Maxey took a backseat to both George and Embiid on Tuesday, with the two veterans combining to score 61 points.
Jared McCain is also finding his groove, as he put up 17 points and caught fire himself in the fourth quarter, drilling five total threes on the night to give the 76ers the scoring punch they needed off the bench.