Way back on media day in September of 2022, Tyrese Maxey shared head coach Doc Rivers’ overarching message to the team: “This is a ‘we’ season, not a ‘me’ season.”
Sure, it was a little cheesy, but it stuck. You heard multiple players reference it throughout the season. The team also acquired multiple players who embody that phrase.
With Joel Embiid out and facing the heavily-favored Celtics in the second round, nobody would’ve been surprised if the Sixers lost. It felt like a forgone conclusion that they’d drop Game 1 and hope that the presumptive MVP’s LCL sprain would heal enough to have a chance to steal Game 2.