76ers’ Tyrese Maxey gets Lego-themed gift from young fan

Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers (15-27) are enduring a torrential downpour of disappointment right now, one that’s becoming increasingly difficult to withstand. They need reasons to smile on the basketball court, and one young fan just gave the All-Star point guard a Tuesday night.

Before the 76ers, the Denver Nuggets played in Ball Arena, Maxey got a nice gift from a child – himself in Lego form. The 24-year-old appreciated the creative gesture and signed the boy’s shirt. Unfortunately, the feel-good moment didn’t carry over into the game.

The 76’s are on right now

Philly had a nightmare outing in the Mile High City, losing 144-109. The team has now dropped seven straight contests and falls further behind the Chicago Bulls (19-25) for the final spot in the NBA Play-In tournament. There’s still plenty of time left on the schedule, but the Sixers’ woes continue. In fact, they intensify.

During the losing streak, Philadelphia has allowed 115 or more points six times. The Nuggets shot 61.2 percent on Tuesday and knocked down more than half of their 3-point attempts as Nikola Jokic dominated his opponent without Joel Embiid. Believe it or not, it gets worse. Despite only losing the turnover game by four, the 76ers were outscored a staggering 37-7 on fast-break points.

Fortunately for the aforementioned Lego enthusiast, however, he got to see Tyrese Maxey play well. The No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft totaled 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting with 10 assists and two steals. The 3-point shooting deficits continued (3-of-10), but he’s starting to find his offensive groove.

However, silver linings won’t do a 15-27 team much good. As the absences pile up for Joel Embiid, a resurgence slips further out of Philly’s grasp. Paul George is disappointing in his first year in the City of Brotherly Love, shooting just 42.3 percent from the floor. Maxey’s field goal percentage is barely higher and his turnovers are up. Given the injury problems that often accompany his fellow Sixer stars, he could be the one to carry the franchise into the Play-In round.

Hopefully, Maxey’s Lego gift can give him an extra boost, because he’ll need it when the 76ers host the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.