Sixers Bell Ringer: Well-rounded offensive showing gives Philadelphia 5th straight win

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings:

Joel Embiid: 11

Tyrese Maxey: 9

Seth Curry: 7

Tobias Harris: 3

Andre Drummond: 3

Furkan Korkmaz: 1

Charles Bassey: 1

Matisse Thybulle: 1

Searching for their fifth straight victory, the Philadelphia 76ers traveled southbound to take on the Orlando Magic Wednesday evening. In a game that was closer than expected (well, unless you’ve watched this team much over the years), the Sixers rode an extended run from late in the third to early in the fourth and defeated Orlando 116-106. Their defense was pretty lackluster most of the night, but the Magic countered with even worse resistance. Four starters scored at least 20 points. Things got funky when Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond shared the floor for multiple minutes. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Seth Curry: 20 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, one steal

With Tyrese Maxey having missed a chunk of games recently, Curry’s been entrusted to create for others more frequently. Wednesday was a continuation of that. Twelve assists marked his most since the 2015-16 season when he dished out 15 against the Phoenix Suns on April 11, 2016.

In this one, he regularly made the proper decision out of ball screens. When Orlando threw two defenders his way, he fed the open man. When he found space for jumpers, he drilled them. His partnership with Joel Embiid is on automatic these days and they connected for effective offense virtually whenever necessary.

After Cole Anthony cut the lead to three late in the game, Curry rattled off five quick points and secured the win for Philadelphia. He’s enjoying a career year and this was one of his most well-rounded performances on a night the team needed it.

Joel Embiid: 31 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block

Another day, another showing with at least 30 points for Joel Embiid. He’s hit that threshold in seven of his last eight games and eight consecutive road games. As is the case for most opponents, Orlando had no real answer for him and the superstar big man showcased his scoring versatility. He thrived in transition, used dexterous footwork to score inside and teamed up with Curry and Furkan Korkmaz for numerous buckets. His screening remains a key area of growth and he helped carve out space for both of the aforementioned sharpsooters.

A couple early fouls quelled his defensive aggression in the first half, but he returned ready to thrive after intermission. He gave the Magic fits as an interior helper and hedged or showed on various pick-and-rolls to force a reset offensively. His lone rejection of the night ignited Curry’s game-sealing floater and was a rather impressive play. This game doesn’t stand out from his recent stretch of dominance, though he was excellent nonetheless.

Furkan Korkmaz: 20 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal

For the first time since April 9 and 10, 2021, Korkmaz recorded back-to-back-games with at least 20 points. Despite starting slowly in the first half, he strung together 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including two long balls, in the third quarter. His scoring burst helped Philadelphia close an 11-point deficit midway through the period down to one entering the fourth. Much of this season has been a struggle for Korkmaz, but he really does seem to be finding his groove again by knocking down threes and attacking the rim with success.

Andre Drummond: 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, one block

After Embiid exited the game late in the third, the Sixers outscored Orlando 20-9 during Drummond’s minutes as the lone big man and that wasn’t a coincidence. He’s simply a good basketball player and lived up to the billing. His defensive activity and rebounding prowess keyed various stretches, especially that one in the second half. He finished efficiently around the rim and formed synergy with a few different ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll. Nice outing for the veteran center.