Sixers Bell Ringer: Joel Embiid’s 48 points lead Philadelphia to blowout win over defense-less Wizards

Bell Ringer Season Totals:
Tyrese Maxey - 2
Joel Embiid - 1
Tobias Harris - 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. - 1

If there should come a point when you are once again disillusioned with our beloved Philadelphia 76ers (those thoughts now seem like a lifetime ago), just remember that things could be worse: you could be a Wizards fan. While everything is working for the Sixers in this early part of the season, these tanking Wizards are a certified train wreck (partially by design). Philadelphia did not play with its food one bit, putting forth a spirited, energetic effort that ultimately led to a blowout victory over Washington. Let’s get to Bell Ringer for our 5-1 Sixers:

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Joel Embiid: 48 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover

The crazy part is Embiid’s night could have been even bigger if the refs weren’t inexplicably swallowing their whistles in the beginning of the first quarter. As it was, Joel came a basket shy of the half century while sitting out the entire fourth quarter, shooting 17-of-25 from the field and 14-of-14 from the foul line. Human foul machine Daniel Gafford had nary a chance against the combination of Embiid’s bruising play on the interior and on-the-money mid-range game, and we even got to see forever Sixer Mike Muscala on Joel for a couple minutes, which went as expected. (Thanks again and always for bringing us Maxey, Mike.) JoJo exploded for 29 points in the third quarter alone to make sure he and the rest of the starters could take an early rest. You could choose from quite a few highlights, but the main one has to be Embiid’s tomahawk jam following a nifty Sixers passing sequence, after which Joel did a mini, not-quite-a DX chop while running down the court. Joel will find exactly where the line for a fine falls.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrese Maxey: 22 points, 1 rebound, 11 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 0 turnovers

Any worries about Maxey assuming a lead guard role seem silly in retrospect, when we remember that this dude works to improve areas of his game like someone ramping up player attributes in a video game. The pick-and-roll connection with he and Embiid looks more fluid with each passing day, and the pocket passes are timely and on the money. Maxey had consecutive double-digit assist games for the first time in his career and is up to 6.6 assists against just 1.4 turnovers per game. Just outstanding floor general work and Tyrese also hit a couple timely three-pointers to maintain a comfortable double-digit cushion when Washington was making hints about getting back into the game.

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Tobias Harris: 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

Death, taxes, and Tobias Harris having an efficient offensive game during the 2023-24 season. Whether it’s Nick Nurse’s scheme or the contract year, whatever is happening is working for Tobi, who shot 6-of-11 from the field and 6-of-6 from the foul line and would have maintained that 20-point-per-game average easily if now afforded the luxury of taking a seat after 30 minutes. Five assists was a season-high for Harris, but he has multiple assists in every game thus far this season. The Nurse system allowing him more touches looks to be treating him well. His 10 first-quarter points tonight allowed the Sixers to keep pace until some of the others got their act into gear.

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De’Anthony Melton: 14 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

Melton got his night started with an emphatic dunk on a drive down the lane midway through the first quarter, which seems like an extremely effective solution for his general lay-up woes. Just dunk on folks! More importantly, that positive shooting regression Nick Nurse alluded to in the pre-game press conference came to light for Melton, who finished 4-of-5 from behind the arc. It was good to see him have the lid come off the basket. Keep it against Boston, De’Anthony.

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Nicolas Batum: 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

He’s here and he’s spectacular. After missing some post-trade time due to a personal matter, Nic Batum made his Sixers debut and did not disappoint. The Frenchman hit his first four shots, including 3-of-3 from three, scoring all 11 of his points during his first-half stint. The veteran has a great feel for the game, knowing where to relocate into open space on the court and keep the ball moving within the offense. It didn’t take long to see what a great connecting piece he should be for this Sixers roster. A team-high plus-30 (!) is not a bad way at all to introduce yourself.