PHILADELPHIA – Some NBA players go their whole career without enjoying the benefits of playing alongside a teammate who is a no-brainer to make the hall of fame.
Max Christie doesn’t take his situation for granted. He’s been lucky enough to play with three of them.
After the first two-plus years with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles with the Lakers, Christie now gets to work with Kyrie Irving, as well as Davis when he makes his Mavericks’ debut soon.
In his first game as a Maverick, Christie had 15 points and nine rebounds Tuesday in the 118-116 loss to Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center. He gave the Mavericks a terrific jump start off the bench.
And he seemed to have instant chemistry with Irving, although building that sort of bond doesn’t happen overnight.
“Not much different,” Christie said of playing with Irving as opposed to playing with James in LA. “Playing with LeBron and AD, they attract a lot of attention. Kai’s going to do the same thing and AD (too) when he comes back.
“I’ve played with two hall of famers already and luckily I’m able to play with another one. He had a phenomenal game tonight and I think he did a good job of reacting off those double teams and trying to find us for open shots.”
Irving had a monster night with 34 points and nine rebounds. He was such a beast that the Sixers were determined not to let Irving beat them at the end, sending double teams when he got the ball on the Mavericks final few possessions.
Irving made solid plays, found teammates, but the ball never made it to the basket.
Here’s our takeaways from the loss, which sent the Mavericks to 1-3 on this marathon road trip that ends Thursday at Boston.
Pleased to meet you: Christie seemed to adapt quickly to the Mavericks’ style of doing things. He took the right approach to the game, preferring not to impose his will but let the action find him. “Just doing what I did that got me here,” Christie said. “Just be myself. I don’t need to play outside myself.” And the 6-6 swingman had good news after the game. He predicted that Davis will not need much time to fit in seamlessly with his new team. “Anytime you plug in a player of that caliber, it just boosts your offense and defense,” Christie said. “Our rim protection is going to be absolutely elite, our rebounding’s going to be even better and offensively he can score 30 or 40 every single night. He’s going to plug in real easily and I think we’ll take this team to a high level.”
The Sixers have a pulse: Their season isn’t a goner yet, even with a 20-29 record, but the clock certainly is ticking on the 76ers. And they gave an indication that they might not yet be dead and buried in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid returned after a month with knee problems and had a triple double: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists. “He was really good, played at an MVP level,” Christie said. “That adds a lot to their team over there.” And Tyrese Maxey is simply a beast right now. He had 33 points against the Mavs, has had 30 or more in six consecutive games and 25 or more in 15 straight.
Meanwhile: If the regular season ended today, the 25-26 Mavericks would miss the play-in tournament. Good thing there are two-plus months left before the record really matters.
Welcoming Caleb Martin: The trade to get the 29-year-old swingman meant sacrificing Quentin Grimes and a second-round draft pick this summer. But the Mavericks were going to have an interesting decision with Grimes in the coming offseason. His contract is completed and he could have commanded a salary that perhaps might have strained the Mavericks in terms of making other moves this summer. Martin is under a relatively team-friendly contract until 2027-28 with the final season being a player option. He could join the team in Boston.
X: @ESefko
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