Sixers Bell Ringer: Four starters score 20 or more en route to offensive-minded victory over the Lakers

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings:

Joel Embiid: 31

Tyrese Maxey: 16

Seth Curry: 8

Tobias Harris: 5

Andre Drummond: 3

Matisse Thybulle: 3

James Harden: 2

Furkan Korkmaz: 1

Charles Bassey: 1

Paul Millsap: 1

Despite both LeBron James and Anthony Davis being sidelined Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers pushed the Philadelphia 76ers to a tightly contested battle. But thanks to timely points from Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden, Philadelphia had enough in the tank to pull out a 126-121 win. Harris and Maxey were especially tremendous, while Embiid was good and Harden turned it up in the second half, as he’s often done lately. The defense was ugly. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Tobias Harris: 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists

Harris went scoreless in his opening stint, but turned it on in the second quarter and was particularly dynamite after intermission. He repeatedly made prompt decisions off the catch (aside from a few hiccups) and really carried the Sixers during non-Embiid/Harden minutes in the second half. Whether it was setting up teammates for quality looks or attacking the rim, he buoyed Philadelphia’s offense while its primary stars rested. He connected with DeAndre Jordan for a lob, found Furkan Korkmaz for an open jumper and exploited Los Angeles’ lack of size on the wing. Late in the game, with the Lakers trailing by six and under two minutes to go, he cashed a contested, quick-trigger corner three. Harris’ play was vital to workng through a second-half lull and Philadelphia doesn’t win this one without his excellent showing.

Joel Embiid: 30 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, three blocks

Really, this was an odd game for Embiid. He seemed to be dealing with some back pain after a foul from Stanley Johnson and only took one shot after re-entering the game at the 8:24 mark of the fourth quarter. During that final stretch, he often resided on the perimeter and empowered any of Maxey, Harden and Harris to run the show. Regardless, he still scored 30 points, thriving on face-ups and jumpers from mid-range. Defensively, he was inconsistent, thwarting a number of pick-and-rolls or other plays inside, but also gambling for lots of takeaways or being poorly positioned to concede buckets. Nonetheless, Wednesday was a good, albeit atypical, outing for the MVP-caliber superstar. Los Angeles couldn’t contain him offensively and he snapped the Sixers out of an early funk offensively by cooking in the post.

Tyrese Maxey: 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, one steal

Looking to aptly follow up Monday’s dazzling fourth quarter, the second-year guard once again delivered in the game’s final frame. Over the last 11 or so minutes, he scored eight of his 21 points and dished out three of his seven dimes. When Los Angeles trimmed the lead to 109-105, Maxey strung together five quick points and extended the advantage back to nine.

From creative, multifaceted finishes and feathery floaters to pull-up triples, he showcased his wide-ranging scoring repertoire at various points. Rarely do his shots feel forced. He’s just constantly seizing scoring chances at opportune moments. This was also arguably his best passing game since Harden entered the fray. He hit a cutting Furkan Korkmaz for a slick assist, rifled a skip pass to Harris for a drive and score, and fed DeAndre Jordan inside for two, among four other handouts. Maxey just keeps on balling.