76ers Vs Timberwolves: Maxey’s 39 Powers Philly to 135-108 No-Bigs Blowout
The Philadelphia 76ers visited the Minnesota Timberwolves and delivered a 135-108 victory in a game that swung decisively after roster absences and early foul trouble. The 76ers vs timberwolves matchup mattered because Philadelphia found a way to create space for Tyrese Maxey, who delivered a season-impacting night that decided the game.
76ers Vs Timberwolves: Final score and lineup context
Philadelphia won 135-108, a 27-point margin that marked a dominant performance by the visitors. The Sixers were playing the second night of a back-to-back and remained without Joel Embiid, who missed his fifth straight game because of right knee injury management and right shin soreness. On Minnesota’s side, the Timberwolves were missing Rudy Gobert, suspended for accruing too many flagrant fouls, and Naz Reid, out with shoulder soreness.
Tyrese Maxey's 39-point performance
Tyrese Maxey finished with 39 points on 16-for-28 shooting, including 4-for-7 from three-point range, and added eight assists. Coaching adjustments aimed at giving Maxey space — including higher screens set near half court by Andre Drummond, Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona — freed him to use his speed and get into the paint. Head coach Nick Nurse said Maxey was assertive, attacking coverages immediately and forcing opponents to keep up with his pace, a behavior Nurse linked to the team lifting around him.
Rudy Gobert suspension, Naz Reid absence and roster ripple effects
Gobert’s suspension and Reid’s shoulder soreness left Minnesota light in the front court, prompting the team to hand Joan Beringer his first career start. Those absences contributed to a string of lineup changes and forced the Timberwolves to experiment with rotations that included Mike Conley, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannor Jr., players who had been out of the rotation in the previous game.
Joan Beringer’s start stalled by early foul trouble
Beringer picked up two quick fouls just four minutes into the game and was benched for the remainder of the quarter. He returned in the second quarter but lasted only a single minute before committing his third foul, which sent him back to the bench for the rest of the half. That foul trouble, combined with the limited front-court options on the active roster, disrupted Minnesota’s planned rotations and placed additional defensive strain on the remaining lineup.
Anthony Edwards, defensive breakdowns and the scoreboard effect
Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 28 points, nine rebounds and three assists but logged seven turnovers. The Wolves were outscored by 22 points in the 11 minutes Edwards was off the floor before garbage time, an interval that widened Philadelphia’s lead. Edwards attributed several turnovers to unexpected coverages and said he lost the ball a couple times on the dribble. Coach Chris Finch pointed to poor closeouts on shooters and conceded the team gave up 17 second-chance points, noting they short-closed shooters “at least a half a dozen times” in the first half.
Julius Randle added 18 points but finished with just three rebounds and three assists; Finch said Randle was “under the weather pretty severely, ” even though Randle had not been listed on the injury report. Tyrese Maxey’s scoring outpaced Edwards on the night and proved decisive in the margin of victory.
What makes this notable is how quickly a combination of absences, a rookie starter’s early foul trouble and defensive lapses can cascade into a season-high-style defeat: Minnesota’s missing rim protection and disrupted rotations helped open the door for Philadelphia to exploit spacing and scoring opportunities.
Coaching reads and immediate consequences
Nick Nurse credited the screening strategy and Maxey’s assertiveness for creating creases and quality shots that swung momentum. Finch described defensive execution problems that the Wolves must address, particularly closeouts and limiting second-chance points. While the Wolves desperately missed Gobert and Reid in this game, it’s hard to use that as a reason; the combination of foul trouble, turnovers and poor closeouts produced the 27-point outcome.
The Sixers will finish their three-game road trip on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers. The Timberwolves must regroup with attention to rotations and defensive coverages after suffering their largest loss of the season.
