Tyrese Maxey Thrills NBA Twitter as Joel Embiid, 76ers Take 2-0 Series Lead over Nets

The Philadelphia 76ers had an uncharacteristically slow start to Monday's Game 2 against the Brooklyn Nets, but point guard Tyrese Maxey caught fire to power the team to a 96-84 victory.

Maxey poured in 33 points in the win, dazzling the home fans at Wells Fargo Center with his energy and impressive shooting to help give Philadelphia a 2-0 series lead. He made six three-pointers and carried the offense at times when the other stars struggled.

Sixers star center and leading MVP candidate Joel Embiid had a strong game with 20 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. However, he wasn't his usual dominant self as he faced constant double teams, being limited to just 11 shots on Monday and also coughing up eight turnovers.

Tobias Harris had his best game in a while, with 20 points and 12 rebounds. James Harden notched just eight points on 3-of-13 shooting with seven assists, four steals and five turnovers.

But it was Maxey who was the star of the night, and NBA Twitter was delighted by what it saw from the 22-year-old:

The Sixers have relied heavily on Embiid to carry them to success. While that strategy worked during the regular season to help them earn the No. 3 seed in the East, it will take much more from the supporting cast to make it through the playoffs.

Maxey proved that he's ready to answer the call, and if he can perform consistently throughout the postseason, Philadelphia will have a strong chance at making a deep run.

The Sixers will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead when the teams meet again in Brooklyn on Thursday for Game 3.