Sixers Bell Ringer: Furkan Korkmaz and Isaiah Joe pace Philadelphia to second preseason win

Sixers Bell Ringer preseason standings

Andre Drummond: 1

Georges Niang: 1

Facing their second Atlantic Division foe of preseason, the Philadelphia 76ers moved to 2-1 as they rolled past the Brooklyn Nets 114-102 Monday evening. Despite missing six rotation players (Ben Simmons included), they led by 12 after the first quarter and 19 at halftime, and had scant trouble picking up their second consecutive preseason victory. They’ll wrap up the exhibition slate against the Detroit Pistons on Friday at 7 p.m. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Furkan Korkmaz: 27 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal

Filling the void left behind by the absence of Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry and Shake Milton, Korkmaz dominated much of the evening. His game-high 27 didn’t just come on a barrage of triples, either. Monday’s outburst was a display of versatile shot-making, with Korkmaz thriving as a creator and off-ball shooter. While he connected on 4-of-10 threes, he also went 7-of-9 inside the arc. The sweet-shooting wing was cooking off the bounce with step-backs and pull-ups, and splashed home a runner curling around a ball-screen. He found success in transition as well, darting into the passing lane for a run-out bucket and helping force a turnover against James Harden for another fast-break score. After a couple quiet games to open preseason, Korkmaz caught fire early and turned in a rather lucrative performance.

Isaiah Joe: 20 points, three assists, two steals, one rebound

Joining Korkmaz in the starting backcourt was Joe, who continued his sterling preseason. The second-year wing is simply never shy about launching from deep and that was again the case Monday. He converted 5-of-7 threes, ranging from movement looks to pull-ups, and even lofted in a little runner off the bounce after frequenting the lane with a slick crossover. When Andre Drummond relieved Joel Embiid on the floor, Joe and Drummond further progressed the rapport they’re fostering during preseason. They connected for numerous buckets, whether it was Joe feeding him inside or Drummond working the two-man game in dribble hand-offs. Relative to expectations, nobody has turned in a better preseason than Joe and that didn’t change Monday.

Joel Embiid: 14 points, three assists, one rebound

All the superstar center required to look ready for regular-season action were eight first-quarter minutes. He cashed a long ball, hammered home a highlight-reel dunk, drilled a pull-up and generally feasted against Brooklyn’s undersized interior options. The Sixers produced quality shot after quality shot with him at the center of the offense. He scored or assisted on 22 of their 30 points before exiting the game late in the opening frame.