Tyrese Maxey’s Game-Winning Block Secures 76ers’ 99-98 Victory Over Warriors

Posted : 05 December 2025

76ers guard Tyrese Maxey’s scoring prowess has made him an All-Star—and potentially an All-NBA selection this season—during his five-plus NBA seasons.

But on Thursday night, it was a spectacular defensive play that allowed Maxey and the 76ers to escape with a heart-stopping 99-98 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Maxey raced from one end of the court to the other in the blink of an eye to swat a potential game-winning layup by Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton, preventing a collapse by Philadelphia.

After the Warriors—playing without Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, who were ruled out before the game, and Draymond Green, who left in the second quarter after reaggravating a foot injury—erased a 24-point lead late in the fourth quarter, 76ers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe converted an offensive rebound off a Maxey miss with 0.9 seconds remaining.

“We know he can score, we know he can pass, but he does things that don’t show up in the box score all the time,” Maxey said of Edgecombe’s play. “He made a hell of a play. For him to be able to track the ball and tip it in like that? That was a great play.”

At that point, the 76ers led 99-98. With no timeouts for the Warriors, it appeared the game was over. But Buddy Hield stepped out of bounds, grabbed the ball, and fired a perfect length-of-the-court pass to Melton, who seemed poised to score a game-winning layup.

Then Maxey appeared. One of the fastest players in the league, he used every ounce of speed and athleticism—and a dash of adrenaline—to block Melton’s shot at the buzzer. Maxey was swarmed by his teammates, and the 76ers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“The block was amazing,” said Joel Embiid. “I almost forgot where we actually made the game-winning layup. I had to ask after. I was like, ‘Wait, who made the game-winning layup?’ That’s how good the block was. But obviously, you don’t get the block unless someone makes a play.”

Philadelphia will try to make it three wins in a row when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, the second night of a back-to-back. The Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a calf injury Wednesday and will miss two to four weeks. Embiid will also miss that game, having managed just 25 minutes Thursday after returning from three weeks out with knee soreness.

Embiid finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists, going 5-for-13 from the field and missing all five 3-point attempts. He did not play in the final minutes due to a pre-set 25-minute limit, which he discussed with coach Nick Nurse to optimize his conditioning.

“I just think after last game I sat too long, and that’s happened earlier in the season,” Embiid said. “Until I can bump that up or they allow me to play more, I think I just need to not sit too long, play basketball, and get in rhythm.”

Meanwhile, Paul George sat out Thursday’s game but is trending toward playing Friday. Forward Kelly Oubre, out for the past few weeks with an LCL sprain, will be reevaluated next week.

Tyrese Maxey’s Game-Winning Block Secures 76ers’ 99-98 Victory Over Warriors

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