Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers defeat Rockets in stride for third straight victory

Sixers Bell Ringer standings

Joel Embiid - 17

James Harden - 15

Tyrese Maxey - 8

Tobias Harris - 5

Shake Milton - 4

Paul Reed - 2

De’Anthony Melton - 1

Georges Niang - 1

Montrezl Harrell - 1

Matisse Thybulle - 1

The Sixers cruised to a 123-104 victory over the Houston Rockets in South Philadelphia on Monday night.

The Rockets came out aggressive and dominant in the paint, scoring 20 of their 29 first-quarter points from the painted area and snagging the other nine from the charity stripe. On the back of some sloppy Rockets shooting, the Sixers put together a run that put them up by double-digits, but it was short-lived. The Rockets bounced back as the Sixers went six minutes without a field goal in the second quarter and the half came to a close with the hosts leading 55-48.

The Sixers were able to build on their lead early in the third with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden combining for five triples in the first five minutes of the period. Harden ended up with four from beyond the arc in the frame, helping the Sixers build a 12-point lead headed into the fourth. From there, the game became more comfortable for the Sixers and their fans, with the hosts extending their lead to over 20 points and ultimately claiming their third straight win in comfort. Even the starters got some rest down the stretch!

The Sixers will be back on the court at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night to host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Joel Embiid: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Embiid is so good that we are considering a 24-point performance to be relatively quiet for the big man. Embiid led the Sixers at the half with 12 points, using his size and strength to take advantage of his matchup with Alperen Sengun, who couldn’t quite contain the Sixers’ big man. It wasn’t his best night rebounding, pulling in just six compared to his 10.2 average, but his offensive contributions made up for it. He shot 8-for-14 from the floor and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Thanks to the Sixers taking and holding a comfortable lead, he earned some much-deserved rest in the final minutes of this one.

James Harden: 28 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Like Embiid scoring 30 each game, Harden has now basically become expected to drop 20 points and 10 assists every time he steps on the court — and he just keeps delivering for this Sixers squad. He was crucial in putting this one away and earning some much deserved rest as the game wound down for himself and Embiid. Harden hit a massive four triples in the third as the Sixers built the lead they ultimately carried until the end of the game. He finished this one shooting 9-for-18 from the floor, 4-for-9 from long range and had 10 dimes. On the defensive end, he had two blocks and two steals.

Tyrese Maxey: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

The success of the bench unit seems to squarely rely on how Maxey does at this point. Luckily for the Sixers on Monday night, Maxey was carrying over some of his excellent performance from the Nets game Saturday night. The kid had 11 points in the first half, a production level behind only Embiid with his 12 first-half points. The performance continued as the second half opened, with Maxey hitting two triples and scoring the Sixers’ first eight points of a critical third period within which the Sixers built their lead. Maxey ended up with 26 points in this one, shooting 10-for-16 from the floor and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. He was a +28 in his nearly 35 minutes on the court.