Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 12

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

Bell Ringer Season Standings: Joel Embiid - 5; Ben Simmons - 3; JJ Redick - 2; Robert Covington - 1.

Dario Saric: 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

The Homie shook off the offseason dead legs for his first signature performance of the 2018-19 season. Saric shot 4-6 for downtown, a line which could have been 5-7 if not for a foul whistled off the ball a split second before he drained an additional shot in the fourth quarter. His hot shooting night allowed Brett Brown to keep Dario in during crunch time, crucial on a night Mike Muscala was unavailable. Saric also played his most small-ball center of the season Wednesday night, something Brown could turn towards even more as the year continues.

Joel Embiid: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks

I would consider this a C-game from Embiid, and he still made like a 19-year-old Jahlil Okafor and rolled out of bed for 20 & 10. He was dominating Myles Turner and the rest of the Pacers frontcourt early in the game, drawing fouls and finishing strong around the rim. However, he was passive for long stretches of the second half, and the 5 turnovers were a problem. Embiid had some poor passes out of double-teams and sloppy ball-handling, just very avoidable mistakes that he hadn’t been making in the early part of the season. The hustle on this block of Darren Collison was outstanding, though. Even a subpar Embiid is a terrific player.

Robert Covington: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks

After the two teams went into the halftime locker room knotted at 50, RoCo scored 9 points in the third quarter to help propel the Sixers back in front. Three of those points came on a circus shot around the basket for an and-one. The defense was where Covington really shined, however. The usual quick hands and instinctive rotations were on full display. Victor Oladipo had a big night, but Covington managed to slow him down some in the second half. This block can be played during Covington’s 2019 First Team All-Defense acceptance speech being broadcast in my mind:

Ben Simmons: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks

Simmons was reluctant to shoot a jumper in a few instances that clearly hurt the team, but the rest of his game was on-point. He flushed home an array of dunks, out of transition, post-ups, and even off dribble penetration. Simmons tied Embiid for the team-lead in rebounds on a night the Sixers downsized for a decent chunk of the game. An 8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio will always get the job done, as well.

Landry Shamet: 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Just a late-first round rookie 12 games into his career who doesn’t look out of place at all as a regular part of the rotation. Very impressive. Shamet went 3-6 from behind the arc, even hitting a pull-up which you only take if you’re extremely comfortable out on the court. Plus, Landry had his first dunk as a pro. Shamet can slam it!