Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 20

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

Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 8
Ben Simmons - 3
JJ Redick - 3
Jimmy Butler - 2
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1.

Philadelphia led by a comfortable margin for the majority of the game, until, in true Sixers fashion, the evening took a nail-biting turn. Anthony Davis stepped to the free throw line with 2 seconds remaining, needing to hit all three shots to tie. Fortunately for Philadelphia fans, the Brow could make one, and two, but not all three, and the Sixers held on for a 121-120 victory. Here are your Bell Ringer candidates:

Joel Embiid: 31 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Move over Hugh Jackman, there’s a new greatest showman. Embiid got off to a fast start in this game, dropping 15 points in the first quarter. Twice in the opening frame, he gestured to the crowd as the Wells Fargo Center rained down MVP chants. The second occasion was a ridiculous, turnaround fadeaway jumper at the buzzer of the first quarter. After slowing down for a bit, Embiid turned it back on in crunch time. He nailed a huge three from the top of the key in the final minutes, and while people may fault him for the foul call on Davis in the final seconds, Embiid was also the one who blocked Jrue Holiday’s shot seconds earlier, and got the final tip-out to secure the win. Oh, and let’s not forget his role in holding Davis to just 12 points on the night.

Ben Simmons: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

The Pelicans made the interesting decision to stick Anthony Davis on Simmons for most of the game, allowing Brow to hang back in the paint. While Davis did cause plenty of defensive disruption, Simmons also did his part to attack the matchup. On numerous occasions, Ben attacked the basket, bodying into Davis and extending back out with his right hand to finish over the big man. He also rampaged through the lane in transition for plenty of “Ben Jammin’” dunks and quality looks for his teammates. Simmons’ best pass of the night was probably one where Amir Johnson botched the wide open dunk, ruining the instant highlight.

Landry Shamet: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

It was a career-high scoring night for Shamet, who went 4-for-6 from behind the arc and continues to look more and more comfortable on an NBA floor. His most impressive play was a near-four-point play, where he pump-faked the defender and took a dribble to his right to reset; the shot just rattled out, but Shamet drew the foul and sank all three free throws. Although he committed five fouls, Shamet competed on the defensive end, getting switched onto the likes of mammoths like Davis and Julius Randle and fighting long enough for help to arrive. Shamet’s play tonight made you forget about any other young combo guards who might be on the roster.

Wilson Chandler: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Not a stat line that will jump off the page to you, but it was an incredibly efficient 6-for-7 night from the field for Chandler. He made solid defensive rotations, made smart decisions with the ball, and did all the little things which add up to winning plays. Chandler’s ability to now play 30-plus minutes moving forward will be a huge boon for the Sixers.

Jimmy Butler: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Overall, it was a tough offensive night for Butler, who shot just 5-for-16 from the field. However, he came up with a couple huge buckets in the fourth quarter to keep the Pelicans at arms-length, and was a bulldog on the defensive end throughout the game. The hug with Iverson caught a lot of attention, and I think Butler has channeled the Iverson-esque love from the fans for mid-range isolation jumpers. A charge permeates throughout the arena whenever Jimmy Buckets is sizing up someone to break down with the ball in his hands.