Sixers Bell Ringer: Embiid, Sixers comfortably defeat Charlotte

Sixers regular season Bell Ringer standings:

Joel Embiid- 8
James Harden- 4
Shake Milton- 4
Tyrese Maxey- 3
Paul Reed- 2
Tobias Harris- 2
De’Anthony Melton- 1
Georges Niang- 1

The Philadelphia 76ers looked for a second consecutive victory on Sunday night against the struggling Charlotte Hornets in game two of a seven-game homestand. The Hornets traveled to Philadelphia on a four-game losing streak with just seven wins on the season, but the Sixers’ poor shooting, turnovers, and complete lack of transition defense early left the hosts trailing in the first. It wasn’t until the middle of the second that Philadelphia turned the tides with a three-minute, 15-0 run to take the lead. The Hornets remained aggressive but the Sixers were able to hold on for a comfortable 131-113 victory over Charlotte behind another big night from Joel Embiid.

Now, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. Take a guess who the first candidate is in this one...

Joel Embiid: 53 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The big man looked healthy and energetic throughout the entirety of this one. Embiid put the team on his back with yet another 50+-point dominating performance. His 28-point first half included scoring the Sixers’ last 15 points before the break in a crucial second period and he only continued contributing from there. He took advantage of every opportunity to completely bully Mason Plumlee, whether in the paint or even beyond the arc. He finished with a season-high 20 field goals, 2 of 3 from three point range and a perfect 11 for 11 from the line. He was also extremely aggressive crashing the glass on both ends of the court, grabbing 12 rebounds. And he did it all, it seemed, without really breaking a sweat.

James Harden: 19 points, 9 rebounds, 16 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Harden started with a nice highlight play, hitting an early step back three. Realistically, in the early game, he was really the only help Embiid could find offensively. From there, Harden didn’t exactly have a lights-out shooting night, but he was crucial in helping Embiid to his 53-point game. Ten of the Beard’s 16 assists were to Embiid, with Harden drawing attention long enough to allow Embiid to continue to find space throughout the game. He was energetic in attacking the boards, coming just one short of the triple-double, and racked up 19 points of his own in this one.

De’Anthony Melton: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

I guess the Hornets didn’t watch Melton’s performance against the Lakers last Friday. Melton had a scoreless first half but went to work early being a nuisance to the Charlotte offense. In the third period, we got another glimpse of that Melton magic we saw Friday as he shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, a number of which were completely uncontested. These 12 points helped the Sixers jump out to a 19-point lead at one point in the third. It wasn’t exactly the complete performance it was against the Lakers, but with Embiid scoring 50+ points, the Sixers didn’t need it to be.