Sixers Bell Ringer: Philadelphia loses big lead and falls to Milwaukee in overtime

Note: There is no traditional recap post for this game.

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 17
Tobias Harris - 8
Ben Simmons - 7
Shake Milton - 4
Matisse Thybulle - 2
Tyrese Maxey - 1
Dakota Mathias - 1

At a rest disadvantage and without Joel Embiid, the Sixers still looked like they were on their way to a big win over Milwaukee. Philadelphia’s defense was locked in early, holding the Bucks to 31 points in the first half, Milwaukee’s fewest points in a half this season. The Sixers led by as many as 19 points, but the Bucks gradually chipped away, until a 13-2 Milwaukee run to start the fourth quarter gave them the lead. Around that time, Seth Curry suffered a left ankle sprain and wouldn’t return to the game. Then, the game was tied at 80 for what felt like a half hour real-time, which was the prelude to the rest of the craziness to follow.

Milwaukee took a seven-point lead with inside of a minute remaining on a Jrue Holiday 3. The Sixers hit a couple quick 3s, and after Khris Middleton scored with three seconds left, Furkan Korkmaz hit a game-tying 3 from the corner in the final second to force overtime. In overtime, though, a 7-0 Giannis Antetokounmpo run, capped by his rudely sitting on the Wells Fargo Center court, effectively put the game away. Final: Milwaukee 109, Philadelphia 105. Bell Ringer time.

Furkan Korkmaz: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers

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Furkan had an amazing chasedown block of Bryn Forbes in the second quarter, but the outside shot was as usual his calling card. Korkmaz went 3-of-4 from behind the arc, including the cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow game-tying triple to force overtime. Furkan has a penchant for these late-game heroics, but I’m still somewhat amazed Mr. Big Shoes didn’t step out-of-bounds on this play.

Danny Green: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers

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Like much of the team, Green had a strong defensive performance. But unlike much of the team, he also had an effective night shooting the ball. Danny went 6-of-14 from behind the arc, most notably hitting a 3 with 11 seconds left in regulation to make it a one-point game. Green missed a couple of open looks on the same possession late in overtime that would have given the Sixers the lead, but as Doc Rivers noted post-game, the entire team was gassed playing bonus basketball on the tail end of a back-to-back.

Shake Milton: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

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Shake was instrumental in the Sixers’ last-minute flurry in regulation, hitting a 3 from the wing to make it a four-point game, and then assisting both the Danny Green and Furkan Korkmaz treys. All game long, Milton was the primary Sixer capable of cutting into the Bucks defense to score. He knocked down his mid-range jumpers and finished with his patented left-handed scoop shots at the rim. Shake ended his night 7-of-15 from the field and a game-high plus-17.

Dwight Howard: 13 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

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Spike sums it up nicely here:

Dwight had a pair of turnovers for moving screens, one of his signature moves (bad). But all three of his offensive rebounds resulted in easy putbacks at the rim for him (good). I tweeted during the game that I would love to be able to pit this version of Dwight Howard against Sixers-era Reggie Evans in a battle for the same offensive rebound. Dwight looks simply relentless out there. Howard and the newly-returned Wells Fargo Center crowds is a rapidly-developing love affair.

Ben Simmons: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers

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I’m including Ben because his defensive work most of the game against Giannis was excellent. Giannis has the size/strength advantage against Simmons (a rarity for Ben), and Antetokounmpo has gotten the better of this matchup in the past. Tonight, however, Ben did a great job battling and keeping Giannis away from the rim and off the offensive glass. Simmons’ offensive performance, though, was putrid, with the noted exception of this behind-the-back pass off one dribble for a Korkmaz corner 3, which was sublime. It’s hard to have a triple-double and still be a huge negative on the offensive side of the ball, but that was the case tonight for the Sixers’ star.