76ers Vs Timberwolves: Maxey’s 39 lifts Philadelphia to 135-108 win
Tyrese Maxey scored 39 points and added eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 135-108 in Minneapolis on Feb. 22, 2026, a result that snapped Philadelphia’s recent losing streak and halted Minnesota’s three-game run. The matchup, played on the second night of a back-to-back for the Sixers, mattered because it exposed Minnesota’s depth issues and showcased strategic adjustments that freed Maxey to dominate.
Scoring outburst: Maxey, Edgecombe, Grimes and Oubre Jr.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 39 points and eight assists, making 16 of 28 shots from the field and hitting four of Philadelphia’s 21 3-pointers. VJ Edgecombe supplied a career-high six 3-pointers and finished with 24 points. Quentin Grimes had 19 points — including five 3s — and seven assists, while Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points and four steals. The 76ers’ scoring depth helped build a lead they kept the rest of the night.
Lineup adjustments, back-to-back and Joel Embiid’s absence
The Sixers were again without center Joel Embiid, with the game text referencing right shin soreness and right knee issues or injury management; it is unclear in the provided context how many straight games Embiid had missed. Philadelphia was coming off a 126-111 loss Saturday night at New Orleans and was playing the second night of a back-to-back. Coach Nick Nurse said Maxey was assertive and noted tactical changes: Andre Drummond, Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona set higher screens near half court to give Maxey more space to use his speed and get into the paint.
76ers vs timberwolves: the first-quarter run and key playmaking
Quentin Grimes hit a 3-pointer and then found Adem Bona on a cut for a dunk before Maxey drained a fadeaway jumper and a 3 to cap a 10-2 run that made it 35-26 at the end of the first quarter. That spurt established Philadelphia’s cushion. Maxey shot efficiently — noted elsewhere as 4-for-7 from deep — and his performance lifted teammates and changed the game’s rhythm against Minnesota’s defense.
Timberwolves’ rotation problems and Joan Beringer’s first start
With Naz Reid out because of shoulder soreness and Rudy Gobert serving a one-game suspension for accumulating too many flagrant fouls, Minnesota handed a first career start to 6-foot-11 center Joan Beringer, the No. 17 pick in the 2025 draft. Beringer picked up two quick fouls four minutes into the game, then committed his third foul one minute into the second quarter and was benched for the remainder of the half. In response, Ayo Dosunmu started the third quarter in Beringer’s place and finished with 12 points. Minnesota also tried mixing in Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannor Jr., who had been out of the rotation in the previous game, but those combinations failed to slow Philadelphia.
Defensive lapses, Edwards’ workload and coaches’ reactions
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points, with 19 of those coming in the first half, and added nine rebounds and three assists while committing seven turnovers. Minnesota gave up 17 second-chance points and struggled with closeouts; coach Chris Finch singled out short closeouts as a core defensive problem. Edwards described unexpected coverages and accepted responsibility for several turnovers and defensive lapses. Finch also noted that Julius Randle scored 18 points but finished with just three rebounds and three assists and that Randle had been “under the weather pretty severely, ” despite not appearing on the team’s injury report.
Margin, milestones and what comes next
The 27-point defeat, a 135-108 final, was the largest loss of the season for Minnesota. Philadelphia’s victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Sixers, each loss coming by double digits, while Minnesota’s three-game win streak was halted. The 76ers will wrap up a three-game trip on Tuesday at Indiana, and the Timberwolves are scheduled to play at Portland on Tuesday. The game highlighted how missing bigs and early foul trouble altered Minnesota’s rotations, while Philadelphia’s tactical screening and Maxey’s performance produced a decisive result.
