Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers flop at home in miserable loss to Blazers

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 10
Tobias Harris - 5
Shake Milton - 3
Ben Simmons - 2
Tyrese Maxey - 1
Dakota Mathias - 1

Ben Simmons sat this game out with left calf tightness, and Seth Curry left the game after running into a hard screen, reportedly not feeling well (and Doc Rivers indicated post-game there could still be lingering COVID effects). At least we can come away knowing the full starting lineup is still undefeated, because there wasn’t much to be happy about regarding this Sixers performance. The Sixers missed their first 12 3s, finally connecting on a Danny Green triple midway through the third quarter. While Joel Embiid’s incredible first half (more below) kept Philadelphia tied going into halftime, everything fell apart in the third quarter, with Portland outscoring the Sixers, 40-19. Things never improved much from there, and the Blazers eventually won, 121-105. It was a truly awful result for the Sixers against a Portland team missing Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic. Let’s choose a Bell Ringer and then forget this one.

Joel Embiid: 37 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 turnovers

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Embiid hyperextended his knee in first quarter, landing awkwardly on a chasedown block of Enes Kanter. Worst-case scenarios flashed through the minds of Sixers fans as Embiid went to the locker room. But not only did Joel return to the game a few minutes later, he went on to score 25 points in the second quarter alone, tying Andrew Toney’s franchise record for most points in a quarter. Embiid continues hitting mid-range jumpers like he’s alone in the gym with YouTube videos playing in the background. The big man finished 14-of-21 from the field, and also kept up his parade to the foul line, where he went 9-of-9. I wish Joel had received some more help tonight, so we could have seen him perform in crunch time of a close game the way he was cooking.

Isaiah Joe: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Good night for the burgeoning Isaiah Joe hive online, as Joe received eight second-half minutes, knocking down two of his three attempts from behind the arc. On a night none of the regulars could hit an outside shot, Joe’s silky smooth jumper was a breath of fresh air.

Vincent Poirier: 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 0 turnovers

Tonight was Poirier’s first appearance since January 7, as he was out for an extended period due to COVID. Nice to see the big man healthy and back on the court.