Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 18

For a refresher on what constitutes a Bell Ringer, please reference the initial post.

Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 7
Ben Simmons - 3
JJ Redick - 3
Jimmy Butler - 1
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1.

The Sixers played their (seemingly) 40th overtime game of the season, overcoming a 60-point explosion from Kemba Walker to prevail in the second night of a back-to-back on the road. Somebody HAS TO ring that bell.

Jimmy Butler: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Jimmy did not have a great game for the majority of Saturday night’s contest. But in the final minutes of overtime, he became a golden god. He finally stopped Kemba Walker with two HUGE blocks in OT, including one with the game tied in the final minute where Butler also made an outstanding play to save the ball from going out-of-bounds. Then, we all witnessed the game-winner with less than a second left on the clock. Like the end of regulation, the Sixers went to a straight isolation play (which, Brett, can we get a pick-and-roll or something?). Doesn’t matter. Jimmy. Gets. Buckets. The city of Philadelphia would run through a brick wall for this guy right now.

Ben Simmons: 23 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals

He disappeared down the stretch, except for what could have been a back-breaking turnover in overtime, but Simmons was the catalyst for the Sixers during much of the second half. For parts of the game, Ben was as aggressive as I’ve seen him all season, attacking the basket fearlessly time and time again. Maybe he wasn’t worried about getting fouled because he actually was hitting his free throws, making 9-of-11 for the game. Simmons also whipped passes around the court in the way only a 6’10” point guard can, including what’s becoming a regular occurrence, yet another half-court alley-oop to Butler.

Joel Embiid: 33 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Embiid started out the game scorching hot, dropping 18 first quarter points as the Sixers built a 17-point advantage. Then, his play fell off, as did the team’s, with Embiid going two-quarters-plus without making a field goal at one point. Still, he was able to contribute by getting to the foul line (13-for-14 on the evening), made some key plays defensively, and, you know, 33 & 11 ain’t a bad night at the office.

JJ Redick: 23 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 block

Like JoJo, JJ got off to a hot start, hitting three treys in the first quarter. He finished the night 5-for-11 from behind the arc, but what I found incredibly impressive was the five straight points Redick ripped off in overtime to put the Sixers back in front. We’re talking about a 34-year-old vet on the second night of a back-to-back, whose job it is to run around and through screens all night long, having the legs to nail huge shots in the guts of bonus basketball. This man’s conditioning is off the charts. Major props for another consistently strong effort from JJ Redick.

Markelle Fultz: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

It will get lost because a ton happened since he left the game for the last time, but Fultz had himself a pretty good game tonight. He showed off the jets on one lightning-quick drive to the hoop, hit a pair of perfectly fine-looking jump shots, and played with an incredible amount of hustle. Fultz had two offensive rebounds and was diving all over the place, trying to contribute any way possible. If nothing else, the young man hasn’t retreated into himself in the face of his struggles. He’s still out there competing and showing signs of improvement each and every game.