SAN FRANCISCO — Tyrese Maxey and Trenton Watford had a serious conversation on their way to the locker room at the end of the first half of Tuesday’s win over the Golden State Warriors. The Philadelphia 76ers were on offense, but Maxey wanted Watford to take a shot on the final possession of the first half, and he made his thoughts heard.
Conversations in the locker room lightened up after the win, with two friends speaking in the convoy as Watford looked to find a rhythm against the Sixers. The fifth-year forward out of LSU had 16 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Warriors as he continues to find a rhythm and fill in for the suspended Paul George.
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“I just started getting more minutes and playing with them,” Watford said. “Unfortunately, P is out. P is out for a while, but going forward, I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me.”
Maxey is almost always next to Watford in the dressing room during away games and he interfered with Watford during media interviews, something Watford pointed out.
“I almost had to choke at half-time,” Watford joked. “This guy is right next to me, but that’s it.”
Maxie yelled, “Have you ever met someone you wanted them to shoot!?” Watford glanced back and the two laughed.
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This is the relationship between Watford and Maxi. The two have remained close to each other almost forever, a relationship they can rely on in difficult times. As Watford works through injuries and adjusts to his first season in Philadelphia, the one constant he can rely on is Maxey.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” Watford said. “It goes both ways. Going through the ups and downs of the season, going through the emotions of the season together. It’s great to be with him, day in and day out. Seeing him day in and day out, playing together day in and day out, so it’s good. 50 games, we’ve got a long way to go. It won’t be too long, but hopefully we’ve got a long way to go, so keep building and moving forward from here.”
Watford has been dealing with some injury issues in his first season in Philadelphia. He has been dealing with hamstring issues as well as an adductor injury that has kept him out for quite some time. He had to persist through it all to achieve his current results with the 76ers.
“It’s tough,” Watford admitted. “It’s just part of basketball. Injuries are unfortunate, but like I said, when I get injured, it could always be worse, you know what I mean? I could be out right now and not play all season. So, I’m excited to be back, you know what I mean? I’m excited to be back and figure it out from here.”
This article originally appeared on 76ers Wired: Trendon Watford talks finding Sixers rhythm with Tyrese Maxey
