BBNBA: Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro Battle it Out for a Playoff Spot
The amount of guards in the NBA from Kentucky is staggering. From 2015-2020, John Calipari and Kentucky produced immense talent at the guard position, especially when it came to scoring the basketball. This is always on display in April-May for the NBA Playoffs, where some of the 28 active former Wildcats play for a chance at an NBA title.
On Wednesday night, the 7-seeded Philadelphia 76ers faced off with the 8-seeded Miami Heat in the Play-In for a chance at a guaranteed spot in the Playoffs. A couple of those talented Kentucky guards were on display, too.
The 76ers are led by Tyrese Maxey, who is averaging 25.9 points per game this season, good for 11th in the NBA. He’s also averaging 6.2 assists, good for 20th in the league. On the other side, Tyler Herro is averaging 20.8 points along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists a game for Miami. Herro is one of the Heat’s premier scorers and has been regarded as one of the best in the playoffs.
Wednesday night showed how much confidence both teams had in their guards, too. Between the two, Herro and Maxey attempted 43 shots in last night’s game. The Sixers came out on top 105-104, as Maxey scored 19 points in addition to six assists. Herro did not play great for the Heat, as he took a team-leading 27 shots, only making nine for 25 points.
Another former ‘Cat, Bam Adebayo, played great defense for the Heat on reigning MVP Joel Embiid while also scoring 10 points with 12 rebounds. Herro made a three with time winding down to bring the Heat within one, however, time expired soon after the shot went through, rendering the make useless. Many after the game said Herro took too long to take the shot, ending the Heat’s chances at a guaranteed playoff spot.
Maxey and the Sixers will now meet the two-seeded New York Knicks in the first round, which begins on Saturday, where some think an upset is on the horizon. Nic Batum was the star for Philly on Wednesday, scoring 20 points with six threes in 28 minutes.
The Heat will play the Bulls on Friday night with the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference on the line. However, they’ll do so without star player Jimmy Butler, who is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering an MCL injury during Wednesday’s game.
4/17/24 BBNBA Statistics:
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/- | MIN |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 104-105 L @ PHI | 25 | 9-27 (4-14) | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | -8 | 41 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 105-104 W vs. PHI | 19 | 6-16 (1-6) | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | +1 | 44 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 104-105 L @ PHI | 10 | 5-9 (0-2) | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -8 | 31 |
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