Sixers Bell Ringer: The Sixers’ biggest stars shine despite loss to Portland

Sixers Bell Ringer Season:

Joel Embiid – 11
Tobias Harris – 5
Skud Milton – 3
Ben Simmons – 3
Tyrese Maxey – 1
Dakota Mathias – 1
Matisse Thybulle – 1

Portland began hitting seven of their first eight shots behind the arc on Thursday night, led mainly by Damian Lillard’s 19 points in the first quarter. However, the Sixers held on tight and eventually found a large portion of the game on the board and maintained the lead for the entire third quarter and the first few minutes of the fourth game. Then, however, Carmelo Anthony caught fire and dropped 17 points in the final frame, including the match free kicks after a questionable error on Tobias Harris with three seconds left. It ended up being a tough 118-114 defeat for the Sixers in Portland, the first L available this season with the full starting lineup available. Let’s choose our Bell Ringer as a defeat.

Ben Simmons: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

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Simmons started playing this game just as well as the entire season. He picked up 13 points in the first quarter, his highest-scoring quarter of the season, via a series of right-handed shots and hard-to-drive drives. He also had a rumble from behind and a steal along the perimeter, which led directly to Ben assistants and five more Sixers points. Ben was aggressive throughout the course of the game, getting to the edge and scoring 10-of-12 off the field for a season-high 23 points. The point guard was also the main reason why Sixers were able to hold Damian Lillard to 2-of-13 shooting in the second half. Tonight was an excellent two-way effort from Philadelphia’s star, and also a promising sign that both he and Joel Embiid can have good offensive nights at the same time.

Joel Embiid: 35 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

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It’s such an interesting experience to watch Joel these days, because by his standards he can have an below average half and struggle a bit with the strong defense of Enes Kanter, but suddenly he explodes like a hurricane. In a little longer than six minutes to end the first half, Embiid dropped 15 points, the delivery lapsed and slipped quickly past for a monster dunk, or an impossible basic jumper sank against Robert Covington’s textbook defense. Suddenly, Joel has 23 points at halftime, which puts him just behind Steph Curry for 20 points this season, and he is on the verge of scoring his 10th game with 25 points. With the Sixers down from five and one minute left in the game, Embiid got the ball at the top of the key and took one dribble in the smoothest false line you would ever want to see. That a seven-footer can kick in a shot like that in the afternoon is remarkable, just like these 35-point games that make Joel look everyday.

Seth Curry: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 turnovers

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Seth had another game that looked like his self ahead of COVID, which in the long run is more important to this Sixers team than whether they will win a mid-February game in Portland. Curry is 3-out-7 from behind the arc, moves well and works himself open to see the basket nicely. The sniper hit an absolutely huge game tie 3 in transition with 22 seconds left in the game, which gave just enough pump to get Derrick Jones Jr. mess up his timing on a block attempt, before hesitating without a second. . Shame on the huge clutch shot that came in a losing attempt.