PHILADELPHIA -- In the days leading up to the start of the first-round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors, the focus was on how effective James Harden would be against Toronto's long, switching defense.
In Game 1 on Saturday night, however, it was another 76ers guard who stole the show.
Tyrese Maxey's 38 points, including a 21-point explosion in the third quarter, helped power Philadelphia to a 131-111 victory in front of a sell-out crowd of 20,610 at Wells Fargo Center. It was the latest emphatic reminder of just how far Maxey has progressed in his second season.