Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 62 - Ding-Dong! The Streak Is Dead

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
Tobias Harris - 2
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1
Furkan Korkmaz - 1
Landry Shamet - 1
Corey Brewer - 1
Boban Marjanovic - 1

The last 19 times the Sixers played Oklahoma City, the Thunder emerged victorious. But not tonight! A 37-point first quarter and a late 10-0 run after the Thunder had tied the game propelled Philadelphia to a 108-104 win. Here are your Bell Ringer candidates:

Tobias Harris: 32 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

The Thunder had tied the game at 93 and Philadelphia’s offense was stuck in quicksand. Enter Tobias Harris. Harris drained a spot-up 3, powered his way down the lane to shoot a short jumper over Dennis Schroder, then canned a triple over Steven Adams to finish off a personal 8-0 run. He practically single-handedly turned what was nearly a heart-breaking collapse into a quality road win.

That fourth quarter sequence was a microcosm of Harris’ entire night. Tobi scored in a wide variety of ways, bolstered by a hyper-efficient 5-for-7 night from behind the arc. He doesn’t force the issue, but recognizes when he has a smaller guy guarding him and can shoot over him, or if there’s a slower defender he can drive around. It was Harris’ fifth straight 20-point game; I think you can safely count on that max offer sheet coming in at midnight on July 1.

Ben Simmons: 11 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers

It wasn’t the ultra-aggressive version of Ben we’ve seen lately, but Simmons found a number of ways to contribute in his ninth triple-double of the season. No play was more emblematic of his night then when he soared over Russell Westbrook for the offensive rebound on Jimmy Butler’s missed jumper with seconds left, helping secure the victory.

Simmons showed great instincts defensively with a couple well-timed strips of Thunder players driving the lane. Ben also keenly used the ‘don’t bother with him on the perimeter’ defense so often used against him to effectively guard Westbrook.

Jimmy Butler: 20 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers

This was the takeover game many were hoping for from Butler, who attempted 20 shots from the field for just the fifth time as a Sixer. Some of his choices were head-scratching, though. On a few occasions, Butler fought his way to the hoop, but instead of putting up a shot at the rim, he made what seemed like an unnecessary extra pass out to the perimeter. An early kick-out to Jonah Bolden rather than shooting a wide-open lay-up was particularly egregious.

Still, there was a lot to like from Jimmy tonight. He commanded plenty of defensive attention and set up his teammates for a number of easy looks. He knocked down some tough shots and made terrific cuts off the ball. It wasn’t a flawless game from Butler, but the Sixers sure weren’t winning it without him.

Jonah Bolden: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

Bolden was pushed around a bit on the defensive boards, but had himself an excellent night offensively, shooting 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from downtown. His most impressive sequence came in the first 90 seconds of the second half, when he drilled an in-rhythm 3 from the top of they key, and then attacked a hard closeout by Steven Adams to drive to the rim for a bucket. Did I get extra satisfaction out of Bolden accidentally kneeing Russell Westbrook in the groin in the process? I’ll just say I didn’t not enjoy the play a little bit more as a result.

Mike Scott: 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 0 turnovers

The threegional manager went 3-for-7 from behind the arc, including a HUGE 3 inside the final minute to extend the lead back to six points. Scott also fared better than anticipated on the interior when Brett Brown went to the small lineups.