Tyrese Maxey Out Three Weeks For Sixers

Merlin sees Tyrese Maxey will miss at least three weeks after suffering a tendon injury to his right pinkie on Saturday. Maxey was averaging 29 points, 6.7 assists and an NBA-high 38.3 minutes, and head coach Nick Nurse confirmed the injury "did not involve any broken bones." His absence arrives as the Sixers sit 34-30, have lost eight of 12, and already are without Joel Embiid and suspended Paul George. This is the second straight season Maxey loses time to the same finger tendon, and Philadelphia faces 11 games in the next three weeks that could decide seeding. Role players like VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. must shoulder the load, and Maxey needs at least four more games to qualify for All-NBA honors. Merlin senses the coming stretch will reveal if this team can steady itself or slip into the play-in.