Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 61 - No L in NOLA

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

Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 21
Ben Simmons - 17
Jimmy Butler - 8
JJ Redick - 6
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1
Furkan Korkmaz - 1
Landry Shamet - 1
Corey Brewer - 1
Tobias Harris - 1
Boban Marjanovic - 1

After leading by double digits for the majority of the game, the Sixers almost pulled a vintage choke job in New Orleans. However, they held on to win by the slimmest of margins, defeating the Pelicans, 111-110. Vote for Monday night’s Bell Ringer below.

Jimmy Butler: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

Point Jimmy was in full effect, as Butler easily led the team in assists and primarily had the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter. Butler didn’t have his best shooting night, and (I thought) missed out on some foul calls that could have boosted his scoring total at the charity stripe. Still, it was a solid two-way performance for him, but his inclusion here mainly rests upon his GAME-SAVING BLOCK! Jimmy Butler is not about to blow a lead to a Pelicans team sitting Anthony Davis for the entire fourth quarter. He’s not about that life.

Tobias Harris: 29 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

Harris was the go-to option for the Sixers throughout the evening, both pulling up for a myriad of silky jumpers and bullying his way to the rim to initiate contact and draw the whistle (7-for-8 from the foul line). It’s a heck of a lot of fun watching such an effective shooter at 6-foot-8, just pulling up and shooting over a defender from 26 feet away. Harris also recognizes when he has a huge mismatch, and will back somebody like Elfrid Payton down until he’s ready to can a short jumper. He also acquitted himself well on the defensive end, battling some bigger and stronger guys in certain matchups. I only wish Tobias had canned that dagger 3 in the final minute to save Sixers nation some anxiety.

Ben Simmons: 14 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers

It wasn’t exactly the best of times and the worst of the times, but it was a tale of two halves for Simmons Monday night. Ben started the game as aggressively as his first two games post-All-Star break, tallying 12 points and 11 rebounds before halftime. He repeatedly knifed his way through an inconsistently interested Pelicans defense, and flashed some mixtape-worthy behind-the-back moves before finishing with a flush or fancily angled lay-in off the glass. Simmons was even feeling frisky enough to hoist the second legitimate 3-point attempt of his career. Though he missed, Simmons stayed with the play to score on the possession. I’m not sure why the light switch flipped off in the second half, but there were some good things to continue building upon from the All-Star.

Boban Marjanovic: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers

Hopefully this inclusion isn’t part of an in memoriam for Boban, who took an awkward fall with a Pelican on top of his right leg and couldn’t get off the floor under his own power. Before the injury, Boban shined coming off the bench. Whether it was blocking a shot without really jumping, flipping in a bucket over a perplexed defender, or showing off a soft touch following a feed down the lane from Jimmy Butler, everything Boban did was equal parts effective and delightful. The Sixers have said it’s a right knee injury for Boban, with an MRI to come tomorrow. Two enormous fingers crossed.

Jonah Bolden: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

Bolden received the start, but was limited to 18 minutes as his foul issues reared their ugly head once again. When he was on the court, though, Jonah channeled his energy in a constructive fashion. He vacuumed up boards and disrupted things around the rim. The most surprising element of his game was his court vision, making a few advanced reads to find his teammates for buckets. The Sixers will need more performances like this one (with additional staying power), given Boban’s injury (even if it’s only over a shorter time frame).