Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers’ team effort overcomes Pacers in OT

Joel Embiid- 12

James Harden- 8

Tobias Harris- 5

Shake Milton- 4

Tyrese Maxey- 3

Paul Reed- 2

De’Anthony Melton- 1

Georges Niang- 1

The Philadelphia 76ers collected their 11th consecutive home win with a 129-126 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid who was ruled out earlier in the day with a foot injury, so the hosts would need someone else to step up in his absence.

Head coach Doc Rivers decided to start with the three guard line-up (James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton) that finished Monday night’s victory against the New Orleans Pelicans. With Maxey still on a strict minute limit and P.J. Tucker suffering an early knock, however, that lineup didn’t last long.

It was a sluggish start for the hosts, that surprisingly gained life with the introduction of the bench. The second period in particular started to spread the wealth, with all but two Sixers, starting and bench, getting on the board before halftime. Montrezl Harrell in particular, subbed in early for a banged up Tucker, had a good first half on both ends of the floor, scoring 12 points and putting up three blocks.

The Sixers headed into the second half with a narrow lead they were able to extend to double-digits in the third. So all they had to do was hold it. Easy, right?

Right?

Well, they allowed this one to get interesting, letting the visiting Pacers tie and even take the lead with minutes winding down via a 21-6 scoring run late in the fourth. A Tyrese Maxey steal for the scoop-and-score followed by another turnover for the Pacers allowed the Sixers to tie it up and head into overtime.

In overtime, Sixers’ fans were biting their fingernails as Harden hit the foul line with a one-point lead and less than a minute to play. Uncharacteristically, Harden missed both, giving the Pacers a chance to take the lead. Instead, Harden locked in on defense, coming up with a huge block and ultimately cementing the win for the Sixers.

This was an extremely well-rounded performance for the Sixers, so we have a handful of options today for Bell Ringer. Let’s get to it.

James Harden: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

With Joel Embiid out of the lineup, Harden was able to find more space to drive in the lane successfully for close range buckets and draw a number of fouls. In the first half, Harden led the Sixers with 16 points, shooting 8-for-8 from the line headed into the break. But Harden’s biggest play came in the final moments of overtime. He missed both free throws with a chance for the Sixers to take a three-point lead with less than a minute to play, but made up for it immediately with a clutch block down the other end for the turnover and ultimately the Sixers’ win. Harden finished this one with 26 points and continued his trend as a leading playmaker for the Sixers, racking up eight dimes.

Tyrese Maxey: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

For the first time since missing a few weeks with an injury, Maxey looked to be back in the groove on Wednesday night. His shooting is still a little off (6-of-16) from the floor, but he seems to be back in rhythm with the Sixers’ squad. He scored 17 points, grabbed five rebounds and had six assists. Maxey’s clutch play of the game came in the final minute of regulation when he made a crucial steal to allow the Sixers to get within two and ultimately tie the game to force overtime.

Montrezl Harrel: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks, 1 steal

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

With Tucker being subbed out quickly for a minor injury, Harrell was tagged in early in this one and went right to work on both ends of the court. In the first half, he shot 5-for-5 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line for 12 points and blocked three Pacers’ shots. With an authoritative dunk in the fourth, he tied his season-high with 16 points. He wound up finishing regulation with 17 points, and tacked on a crucial couple more in overtime for a new season high of 19 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the floor. Harrell also came up with a huge double-handed block in the final minutes of overtime for a total of four blocks in Wednesday’s contest.

De’Anthony Melton: 19 points (5 three-pointers), seven rebounds

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Melton deserves a little shoutout for this one, as he was showing off from range again on Wednesday night, sinking 5-of-8 from long range. He finished the game with 19 points and pulled in seven rebounds.