Sixers Bell Ringer: Shorthanded Nets serve Sixers a loss

(Note: There will not be a traditional recap post for this game. Let loose with your best comments here.)

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 4
Tobias Harris - 3
Dakota Mathias - 1

Playing without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets still jumped all over a Sixers team that looked listless on the second night of a back-to-back. Philadelphia committed 20 turnovers and the offense looked a little lost with Seth Curry sitting out to rest an ankle injury. The Sixers’ blistering hot 3-point shooting of the past few games came back down to a more middle-of-the-pack 36 percent, and we witnessed Ben Simmons shoot an above-the-break 3 that missed the rim and caught nothing but backboard (keep firing away, though, Ben!). With Joe Harris hitting everything in sight (game-high 28 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3), it all added up to a 122-109 Brooklyn win. Let’s choose a Bell Ringer in defeat:

Shake Milton: 24 points, 1 rebound, 7 assists, 3 turnovers

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The Sixers’ sixth man got the start tonight in place of Curry, and rewarded Doc Rivers’ faith in him with season-highs in points and assists. Shake was quite the playmaker, working the two-man game with Joel Embiid for a handful of buckets and even scooping up an alley-oop pass with his left hand for a Dwight Howard flush. That left hand was also responsible for a couple gorgeous finishes as Milton drove down the left side of the lane. Shake has a real ability to convert from awkward angles and unusual positions on the court, all of which was on display in a strong effort from the 24-year-old.

Tyrese Maxey: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

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Those young legs showed no ill effects from the back-to-back and Maxey gave the Sixers a jolt of energy whenever he entered the game off the bench. The former Kentucky guard has a sublime floater game, darting into the holes of the defense and then lofting the ball up with a feathery soft touch. Tyrese flashed that same precision on a nice lob to Dwight Howard. Maxey also shot 2-of-4 from behind the arc, even pulling up and draining a 3 in a Lou-for-one situation towards the end of the first quarter. The rookie gave the Sixers what they needed in a night where it was the bigger names that let the team down.

Tobias Harris: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Tobi wasn’t quite as efficient as the past few games (7-of-16 shooting, 1-of-4 from 3), but he at least looked like his new normal self with his legs under him. Harris had great success driving into the mid-painted area and converting on a multitude of pull-ups and floaters. He also had a great steal and run-out dunk, which led to the latest flurry of online bullying towards our Daniel Olinger whenever Tobias throws it down with one hand.

Danny Green: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

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Not that Danny jumped off the screen, but he was far down on the list of problems and tonight marked the fourth straight game with at least three 3-pointers made for the veteran. After a slow start to the season, Green has shot 50 percent from behind the arc across four game in 2021; he is now up to a perfectly respectable 36.6 percent on the season.