Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 80 - Sixers end skid with win over Chicago

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

Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 26
Ben Simmons - 20
Jimmy Butler - 10
JJ Redick - 9
Tobias Harris - 4
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1
Furkan Korkmaz - 1
Landry Shamet - 1
Corey Brewer - 1
Boban Marjanovic - 1
Mike Scott - 1
Shake Milton - 1
Jonah Bolden - 1

Overcoming a career-high 29 points from legendary Process-er JaKarr Sampson, the Sixers ended their season-worst-tying three-game losing streak with a 116-96 win over the Chicago Bulls. The victory means Philadelphia has hit the 50-win mark for the second straight season, something that hadn’t happened since the mid-80’s. With two regular season games remaining, one Sixers win or one Celtics loss would give Philadelphia the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Here are your Bell Ringer candidates:

Joel Embiid: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers

You know when an “actually good” basketball player jumps into your pickup game, and he’s only giving about 65 percent effort, but you know he can basically get whatever he wants when he puts his mind to it? That’s what it seemed like with Joel Embiid facing the island of misfit toys roster Chicago put on the floor Saturday night.

Embiid was a dominant force around the basket, and building off his career-high 13 assists last game, had some very nice kick-outs for 3s to Jonah Bolden and JJ Redick. He definitely looks to be improving upon his court vision out of the post. The big man also had a handful of blocks where it looked like the opposing Bulls player entering the lane had never seen anything approaching a 7-foot defensive titan in the G League. Best of all, the Sixers easily handled business and Embiid didn’t even need to go 30 minutes.

JJ Redick: 23 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover

Redick recorded his fourth-straight 20-point game, tying the longest such streak of his career. The sharpshooter finished 4-of-7 from behind the arc, including completing yet another four-point play in the final minute of the first half. Redick has to lead the league in crazy shots where he’s moving almost entirely horizontally as he hoists the ball up, something he pulled off on more than one occasion in Chicago. I don’t know how much these things actually end up translating, but it’s encouraging to see Redick in the midst of a hot stretch of shooting as the team readies for the postseason.

Ben Simmons: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover

Chicago had no one among its perimeter defenders with the size and strength to handle Simmons, which led to plenty of practically uncontested drives to the rim. Most notably, Ben went right down the lane in the fourth quarter, finding a waiting Cristiano Felicio near the basket and tunneling into his chest before rising up for the hoop. Simmons also showed off his “amphibiousness” earlier in the game, nailing a one-handed fadeaway jumper with his right hand, and then bricking the ensuing free throw with his left. NBA conspiracy theorists continue to ponder this mystery.

Tobias Harris: 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 turnovers

Harris showed off his offensive versatility in Chicago, nailing a handful of pull-up jumpers, while also metaphorically shoving Bulls defenders into lockers with bully-ball moves in the paint. His five assists were also his most in over a month. With two games remaining in the regular season, the question remains whether Tobias will reach 83 games started on the year. As fun and quirky as that accomplishment would be, I hope the Sixers pull out the win against Miami so all the starters can get a rest in the season finale.

Boban Marjanovic: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers

The John Wick 3 star nearly had a double-double in just 10 minutes of action, shooting 4-of-5 from the field. It was one of those games where Boban was playing on a different plane of existence than the opposition, like every Bulls player wanted to shout, “How’s the weather up there?” I never tire of Boban holding the rock like a tennis ball above his head, and just tossing it up and in, with the question of whether a defender was there or not being entirely irrelevant.

Jonah Bolden: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers

Bolden logged his minutes at the power forward position Saturday night, knocking down three of his four attempts from behind the arc. That type of versatility speaks to why Jonah is the best option for the backup center role in the first place. The five fouls in 25 minutes are concerning, as usual, although one of those whistles seemed unjust as JaKarr Sampson threw a forearm shiver into him, but Jonah somehow got called for the foul. Bolden also had a nice drive where he found a wide-open Zhaire Smith in the corner. Whether or not Brett ends up calling his number in the playoffs, Jonah has definitely emerged out of the doghouse with his play lately.