Philadelphia 76ers star guard Tyrese Maxey made a surprise appearance in the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night.
After Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove hard under the basket, he received a helping hand from Maxey, who was sitting courtside for the game.
Maxey, a native of Dallas, Texas, was in the stands to watch his old hometown team play, but was clearly more than willing to help out the Thunder in their time of need. Maxey and Gilgeous-Alexander both played their college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Fans loved the light-hearted interaction between the two budding superstars.
Several fans noted that Maxey’s interaction with Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to spark a run of sorts for the Thunder, who were able to come back and beat the Mavericks to tie the series 2–2.
While it might seem silly to attribute a team’s comeback effort to a simple handshake, Maxey plays for a team that has been inspired by free chicken giveaways for fans on more than one occasion, so anything is possible.
Game 5 between the Thunder and Mavericks will tip off on Wednesday night.