Sixers Bell Ringer: Tyrese Maxey’s 31 points headline loss to Milwaukee

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings

Seth Curry: 3

Tobias Harris: 2

Joel Embiid: 2

Andre Drummond: 2

Furkan Korkmaz: 1

Tyrese Maxey: 1

Another night, another game against a playoff contender (or better) for the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers. On Tuesday, they welcomed the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks to town. A hot start saw them lead 39-30 after one quarter and a third-quarter surge gave them the advantage heading into the fourth. But they just ran out of steam down the stretch and fell 118-109. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Tyrese Maxey: 31 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block

No stranger to spearheading undermanned Sixers lineups, the second-year guard jumped out of the gates with 17 first-quarter points, including a trio of triples. He knocked down two pull-up threes and poured in various other contested shots, ranging from a tear-drop floater over Giannis Antetokounmpo to finishes at the rim through contact. Although he naturally cooled off a bit the rest of the way, he still added 14 points during the final three quarters for a season-high 31. With his third 20-point outing of 2021-22, he’s now matched last year’s total through 12 games. Defensively, he contained some dribble penetration and affected a few possessions in help, particularly during the second half.

Georges Niang: 21 points, two rebounds, two steals, one assist

Following a couple of icy outings beyond the arc that plunged him below 40 percent on the year, Niang returned with a vengeance for five triples in seven tries. No matter the closeout, he will fire and he routinely burned the Bucks from deep on Tuesday. As has also become commonplace, he chiseled his way to the rim for a slew of funky finishes and embraced the home crowd on occasion.

Shake Milton: 20 points, six assists, four rebounds

Joining his starting backcourt mate in Tuesday’s 20-point club, Milton consistently applied his frame to create creases of space as a driver and convert off-beat finishes or draw fouls. The midrange jumper was rocking for the lanky ball-handler and his scoring helped the Sixers keep this one competitive throughout the night.

Paul Reed: Six points, six rebounds, three steals, two blocks

Finding a semblance of consistent, extended minutes for the first time in his brief NBA career, Reed is carving out a replicable role. All three of his buckets came during the initial seven minutes, when he netted a pick-and-pop jumper, crashed the glass for a putback score and showed patience on a drive for two. Tasked with defending Giannis for stretches, his mobility and length intersection proved effective against the two-time MVP in spurts, and produced one highlight-worthy rejection. He grew overzealous at times offensively, but these recent minutes have been significantly beneficial for him. He’s figuring out how to thrive when the game-plan doesn’t center on him.