Sixers Bell Ringer: Furkan Korkmaz’s 19 points pace shorthanded Philadelphia in loss to the Knicks

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings

Seth Curry: 3

Tobias Harris: 2

Joel Embiid: 2

Furkan Korkmaz: 1

Andre Drummond: 1

Tyrese Maxey: 1

Down three starters and four rotation players, the Philadelphia 76ers saw their six-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of the New York Knicks, 103-96. After trailing by as many as 19 in the first half, they repeatedly cut the deficit to one following intermission, but couldn’t claw any closer. They do, however, remain undefeated this season against teams located outside of New York. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Furkan Korkmaz: 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal

Two days removed from tying his career-high with seven triples and scoring a season-high 25 points, Korkmaz quickly continued to scorch the nylon with 16 first-half points and four threes, cooking in a bevy of ways. He struggled after the break, but still tossed in another long ball to end with 19 points and five threes on the evening. This now marks four consecutive double-digit outings and the sixth on 11 occasions to open the season. Defensively, he helped engineer a few notable on-ball possessions by applying his size and mobility to stymie shots or pick-and-rolls.

Andre Drummond: 14 points, 25 rebounds, two blocks, one assist

Just a vintage 25-14 from the Sixers’ multi-time All-Star center. Except it was Andre Drummond, not Joel Embiid, and he had 25 rebounds and 14 points. The big man was relentless attacking the glass on both ends (eight offensive boards) and flew up and down the floor during his 38 minutes of play to fight for extra possessions or pursue buckets inside. Although he unwisely chased a few blocks that conceded putbacks for the opposition, he was active and flustering in pick-and-roll coverage on a number of instances as well. Philadelphia had a chance to win this one, in significant part due to Drummond’s efforts. The dude played hard all night en route to his 85th career game with 20-plus rebounds, per Kate Scott on the broadcast.

Georges Niang: 15 points, one rebound

Despite missing all but one of his seven threes, Niang wiggled and muscled his way into the paint on various drives for funky, yet effective, scores. Unbothered by defensive pressure or contests, he has a skillful conception of angles that he pairs with soft touch for unorthodox finishes, and that shined through against New York. He also continues to hold his own on the perimeter defensively and contained Julius Randle a couple of times. This team’s current roster makeup is assuredly overextending him as a shot creator, though Niang persisted to turn in 15 points on tenable efficiency, given the circumstances.