Sixers Bell Ringer: Third-quarter boom drives Sixers past Brooklyn

Sixers Bell Ringer Season:

Joel Embiid – 11
Tobias Harris – 5
Skud Milton – 3
Ben Simmons – 2
Tyrese Maxey – 1
Dakota Mathias – 1

Brooklyn’s chances of picking up Sixers in the first place took a beating when Kevin Durant (medical records) and Kyrie Irving (finger) were both ruled out. Still, the game was close for much of the night, until the Sixers broke things open with a 14-0 third quarter that turned a 79-79 tie into a 93-79 lead, sharing was off a 43-point third quarter for the Sixers. After that, Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash threw in the towel early as James Harden did not play at all in the fourth quarter, and Philadelphia kept the Nets at arm’s length to pick up the 124-108 victory. Now, who’s your Bell Ringer?

Joel Embiid: 33 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers

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I would not even mention a particularly excellent Joel Embiid match tonight, which shows how ridiculously high he raised the bar. Joel equalized the shot from the outside too much and finished 1-out-7 of 3. And yet he was the man who set the tone early, with 15 points in the first quarter, and then the team with 14 points in the third when the Sixers broke open the game. At the end of the night, Embiid became the first Sixer to score eight consecutive 25-point games since Allen Iverson in 2006. It’s only fitting that Joel should start matching the points offered by AI, because he wants to be the first MVP of the franchise has been since The Answer two decades ago.

Tobias Harris: 21 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers

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There was never a bit when Tobias overwhelmed the focal point of the offense, but he consistently hacked in and filled the margins with a series of brackets, drivers and pull-up middle distance jumpers. Harris was extraordinarily active on the glass, scoring 12 rebounds this season, and immediately putting back three of his four attacking plates for buckets. The All-Star hopeful was also strong in defense as part of another amazing all-round performance.

Ben Simmons: 16 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 6 turnovers

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Ben was largely responsible for the turning point of the game, as the team’s main 14-0 run coincided with Simmons eventually receiving the defensive mandate from Harden. He was excellent at the end of the court while stealing Brooklyn in a pair of steals, a pair leading directly to slams on the other side. Ben barks right in the face of Tyler Johnson after one dunk, which makes a technical mistake, but you will compromise every night if that means we get this aggressive level from him. Offensively, Simmons also took the lead and drove hard to the edge for a slam or sweet little reversal bench. After the team struggled in the absence of the city center on Thursday, he also got into a fight again with things that his teammates could set up for three points, and he collected five more three-point assists on the evening. Aggressive Ben and a fun, random Tyler Johnson feud; sign me up for more!

Shake Milton: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 turnovers

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After a hot start to the season, Shake’s play has declined slightly over the past few weeks. Tonight, Milton turned the clock back with a 6-out-13 night off the floor; the six field goals were the most since his 28-point game against Memphis on January 16th. Shake was able to handle his normal tricks while hitting in high arc layups, hitting the jumpers and drivers in the middle of the series. The stars certainly carried their share of the load tonight, but the Sixers also need this level of production from their bank to reach their potential.