76ers Vs Timberwolves: Maxey’s 39 leads Philly to 135-108 rout
Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 39 points and the Sixers beat the Timberwolves 135-108 on Feb. 22, 2026, a win that snapped a losing streak and marked a clear turnaround for a team that had struggled over its previous five games.
Maxey, Edgecombe carry the offense
Maxey finished with 39 points on a night when VJ Edgecombe set a new career high by making six threes, and the Sixers opened the game by hammering Minnesota inside once the Wolves moved to small-ball. At halftime Maxey had 19 points and five assists after a 1-for-3 start, and he shot 2-for-5 from three for the night.
How the Wolves’ frontcourt unravelled
The Wolves’ only available big was rookie Joan Beringer, who picked up three early fouls and left Minnesota operating in small-ball looks for most of the night, enabling Andre Drummond to work the offensive glass early and the Sixers to attack the rim with more frequency.
Execution on defense and transition stood out
Philadelphia’s energy was markedly better than the night prior against New Orleans, and the team put together high-effort transition possessions that broke up Minnesota run-outs, including a play where Cam Payne nearly stole a pass and dove out of bounds trying to recover the ball. Later in the first half the Sixers trapped Anthony Edwards, hedging aggressively and forcing a turnover or two by applying quick hedges.
Lineup choices opened the floor
Coach Nick Nurse deployed more offense-heavy lineups, using a lot of three-guard looks and even sliding Kelly Oubre to power forward to open driving lanes, a move the piece questioned—uncertain whether Nurse planned it strategically or was matching Minnesota’s set—but called important because juicing the offense may be necessary to cover a limited defense.
Moments that swung the game
Andre Drummond’s early offensive rebounding helped create possessions that led to clean scoring chances; on one possession an offensive board was recycled into a potential corner three before Maxey hit a one-dribble two from the midrange. VJ Edgecombe attacked the rim with gusto after Drummond’s work on the glass, and those sequences fed the Sixers’ 135-108 final margin.
The article also noted the team’s recent lapses: over the prior five games the Sixers had “sat down on the court and quit” in losses to the Blazers, Knicks, and Pelicans, a stretch the win over Minnesota ended on Feb. 22, 2026.
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