Sixers Bell Ringer: Young guns lead Philadelphia to victory in regular-season finale

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings:

Joel Embiid: 36

Tyrese Maxey: 17

Seth Curry: 8

Tobias Harris: 7

James Harden: 4

Andre Drummond: 3

Matisse Thybulle: 3

Furkan Korkmaz: 1

Charles Bassey: 1

Paul Millsap: 1

Despite James Harden and Joel Embiid sitting out Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers comfortably dispatched the Detroit Pistons, 118-106, en route to their 51st win of the year. Philadelphia jumped out to a sizable lead in the second quarter, yet Detroit battled ahead midway through the third. The Sixers’ offense was humming all evening, though, and they easily regained momentum before the frame ended. From there, they kept the Pistons at bay. Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey and Paul Reed were sensational, the last of whom enjoyed a career-best night. It’s time to talk Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

Paul Reed: 25 points, six rebounds, four steals, two assists, one block

The man dubbed BballPaul was absolutely stellar in the regular-season finale. He caused havoc defensively, whether it be rotating to curtail drives or bothering ball-handlers in pick-and-rolls. As a scorer, he dominated in the paint, converting a number of challenging finishes. His ability to navigate small windows of space and quickly explode off the floor really enable him around the rim. He went coast-to-coast for a few grab-and-go buckets that were impressively coordinated and composed, too. Midway through the first, he also delivered a nifty dime to a cutting Matisse Thybulle for a slam.

Late in the fourth, chants of “BballPaul” rang through Wells Fargo Center. They were well-deserved for the big man, who has quickly established himself as this team’s optimal backup five. He’s taken full control of his opportunity.

Shake Milton: 30 points, four assists, four rebounds, two steals, one block

For the first time since Jan. 14, 2021 and third time in his career, Milton catalogued a 30-point performance. He opened the night netting his first seven shots for 18 points, including five points in five seconds. Among pull-up jumpers, scoop layups fueled by heady pacing or leaners through contact, Milton thrived inside the arc. He leveraged his 6-foot-5 frame to work the midrange against smaller guards and Detroit’s rim protection was quite subpar when he attacked the lane.

Alongside Reed, the young duo buoyed Philadelphia in the fourth, teaming up for some buckets and generally carrying the load while starters like Maxey and Tobias rested on the bench. Milton concluded his fourth regular season on quite the high note and he’ll look to parlay this outing into consistency entering the playoffs.

Tyrese Maxey: 25 points, three assists, two rebounds

Maxey spent the entirety of the fourth period on the sidelines, yet only needed 23 minutes to snag his 13th game of the year with at least 25 points. He was especially electric in the third quarter, when he rattled off 14 points on the back of numerous dazzling finishes around the hoop. His understanding of how to use his speed to capitalize on pockets of space shined throughout the third-quarter explosion. Detroit struggled mightily to take away driving angles or stay in front of him and he exhibited his comfort scoring through contact. Sunday was merely another excellent game in a second season full of them for Maxey.