Following the Philadelphia 76ers' 106-89 defeat to the Miami Heat, guard Tyrese Maxey addressed the media, stating that "there was a lot said" in the locker room. In the wake of the loss, which marked the team's record at 2-11, reports emerged from ESPN's Shams Charania indicating that Maxey had called out star center Joel Embiid for his tardiness to team activities.
"I wanted to speak up," Maxey explained, as reported by The Athletic's Tony Jones. "I felt the need to do that because I wanted to share that we are better than what we have shown on the floor. There was a lot said, but it is what it is. We said what we had to say and we have to figure out a way to move on to the rest of the season. Everyone understands what's at stake. Everyone is feeling the hurt." Maxey further emphasized the need for the team to fight back in games, noting, "When they hit us, we were supposed to hit back. It was supposed to be a fight out there, but it wasn't. We kind of laid down in Miami, and that's something that we can't do anymore."
As the team prepares for their upcoming game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Maxey's status remains uncertain due to a strained right hamstring, though he is listed as questionable. Meanwhile, Embiid, who had been managing a knee injury and missed 10 of the season's first 11 games, did not appear on the injury report ahead of the match against Memphis. In the loss to Miami, he played over 31 minutes, contributing 11 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while shooting 5-of-11 from the field. Notably, Charania reported that Embiid "was not seen by most teammates and coaches throughout the day before appearing for warmups and playing in the game." Moving forward, the 76ers aim to address their third-quarter struggles, having entered the third period against the Heat with a three-point lead but ultimately falling behind by 16. With concerns lingering over player performance and team dynamics, both Maxey and the organization hope that the recent locker room meeting will lead to improvement despite ongoing injury challenges.
