Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 11 - No magic for the Sixers in Orlando

For a refresher on our Bell Ringer series, take a look back at our first post of the season.

Bell Ringer Standings

Joel Embiid - 4
Josh Richardson - 2
Ben Simmons - 1
Tobias Harris - 1
Furkan Korkmaz - 1
Al Horford - 1

Philadelphia was outscored by 17 points in the fourth quarter, falling 112-97 to the Magic, with Orlando attempting 21 more free throw on the evening. Let’s honor the Sixers who fought hard in the losing effort by selecting tonight’s Bell Ringer.

Ben Simmons: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers

On the opposing sidelines Wednesday night, Markelle Fultz offered a glimpse of what it looks like when a guy with a broken jumper shoots anyway. Contrary to what people thought entering the season, Simmons has eschewed from firing away from the perimeter, which has worked out very well for at least the last two nights.

Ben shot 9-of-12 from the field, getting out in transition and keeping his dribble alive in the half court to penetrate the lane for dunks, dunks, and more dunks. Playing off-ball, he did a better job maintaining spacing and making timely cuts to the rim. Some of his plays showed excellent basketball instincts, and some, like this SOARING slam off a slightly errant Shake Milton lob, were simply a result of pure, unadulterated athleticism.

Josh Richardson: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

Richardson’s 19 points led the team, as he shot 7-of-14 from the field and 2-of-4 from downtown, one of only two Sixers to make more than one 3-pointer on what was yet another errant shooting night (Horford was the other at 2-of-8). Josh even turned one of those makes into a 4-point play in the third quarter, as Michael Carter-Williams closed out from behind and didn’t offer Richardson a place to land safely.

Richardson also made some nice reads out of the pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop, whether it was lobbing it up to Simmons or feeding it back to Mike Scott or Al Horford spotting up behind the arc. I know a lot of people weren’t thrilled with J-Rich getting backup point minutes early this season at the expense of Raul Neto or Trey Burke, but we might be starting to see some growth in that area with more familiarity within the system and playing with new teammates.

James Ennis: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover

The third of his name was the first option for the Sixers in the first quarter. Just two minutes upon entering the game, James had already converted an and-one off a feed from Tobias Harris and sank a 3-pointer, eventually finishing the opening frame with eight points. Ennis ended the night 4-of-6 from the field for his first double-digit scoring effort of the year. He will need to continue having strong performances like this to stave off the youngsters like Matisse Thybulle and Shake Milton in the rotation when the team is at full strength.

Kyle O’Quinn: 5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover

O’Quinn stuffed the stat sheet in his 15 minutes of action off the bench. There are nights when the former Norfolk State big man looks like one of the best passers on the floor; he made a couple really impressive feeds to Simmons and Ennis on back cuts from the high post. Kyle sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key, continuing what is shaping up to be a career year from the perimeter. He also hustled down the court for a flush in transition, much to the delight of the Sixers bench.