Patrick Beverley says it’s ‘bulls–t’ that Tyrese Maxey wasn’t named All-Star Game starter

Philadelphia 76ers guard Patrick Beverley recently addressed the fact that his teammate Tyrese Maxey won’t be starting in the upcoming All-Star Game.

“Bulls—, but I understand,” Beverley said of Maxey being left out as a starter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard were named as the starters for the Eastern Conference, though Embiid is now dealing with a meniscus injury.

Maxey, who was named an All-Star as a reserve, has enjoyed the best year of his NBA career in the 2023-24 regular season. The guard is averaging 26.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the floor and 38.3 percent shooting from deep in 43 games played with the Sixers in his fourth NBA season.

He exploded for 51 points in the 76ers’ three-point victory over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 1. He shot 17-of-27 from the field and 7-of-9 from 3-point range and also tallied two rebounds, one assist and one block. Against the Jazz, the 76ers were without their best player in Embiid.

The 76ers are now 30-17 following their road win over the Jazz. Before beating Utah, the team had been riding a four-game losing streak, with losses coming against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 25, Denver Nuggets on Jan. 27, Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 29 and Golden State Warriors on Jan. 30.

Thanks in part to the team’s recent losing streak, the 76ers now sit as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. They are half a game back of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the No. 4 seed and one game behind the New York Knicks for the third-best record in the conference.

Philadelphia will begin a four-game home stand when it takes on the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. The 76ers will also face off against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5, Golden State Warriors on Feb. 7 and Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 9 during their home stand.

Considering that the 76ers have played far better basketball at home than they have on the road so far this season, fans should be excited about the team’s upcoming home stand. Philadelphia owns an impressive 17-6 home record compared to a 13-11 road record.