Even without Joel Embiid Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers moved to 3-0 this preseason with a 113-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tyrese Maxey has officially unlocked his next level of Super Saiyan transformation; he is now 8-of-12 from three-point range this preseason, averaging 20 points on 18 minutes per game. Little-known fact: when Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sang Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, they were referring to this 21-year-old’s ceiling.
Intriguingly, Monday was also a showcase for some Doc Rivers outside-the-box thinking. With Embiid resting back in Philadelphia, Rivers started 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker as a small-ball center.