Instant observations: Sixers comeback effort falls short vs. Rockets as play-in looms

Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, and VJ Edgecombe all scored 20+ points for the 76ers in a losing effort. Here’s what I saw. Too little, too late I came into this game expecting one of two different extreme outcomes.

Either the Sixers were going to summon a spirited performance and offer a glimmer of hope after the Joel Embiid news, or they were going to lie down on the court and accept that their season was effectively over. The truth ended up being close to the middle. Being down 17 points at halftime is certainly closer to a concession, but the Sixers managed to make a game of this one in the end.

Philadelphia certainly fought early, and can take their credit for that. Kelly Oubre had an inspired first quarter, filling the scoring void as Tyrese Maxey went scoreless for the first 12 minutes of the game. The veteran wing had a pair of threes and was one of the few perimeter players not overwhelmed by Houston’s size at the point of attack, picking up a few baskets in early offense with rugged drives that left him with nothing more than an eight-footer to make.

His defense was even better, with Oubre collecting three steals and battling his tail off to try to hold the Sixers together in the face of adversity. Maxey would eventually find his footing in the second quarter, putting together a 15-point period almost out of nowhere, turning early misses at the rim and hesitation from deep into a downtown barrage, with Maxey finally finding a bit of aggressiveness from deep after seeing one go down. In the circumstances, it might be the only thing from this game that truly matters — Maxey provided some hope that he can play effectively through any hand pain, and offer the scoring punch they need to hang with better teams in the playoffs, assuming they get there.