Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers survive the Bradley Beal blast and ward off the Wizards

Sixers Bell Ringer season ranking:

Joel Embiid – 3
Tobias Harris – 3
Dakota Mathias – 1

Regarding the day’s events, I will leave this joint statement from the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat here:

Hopefully, this silly post also helps to bring joy to your lives in some way.

The transition to the game that took place in Philadelphia tonight … was WILD. The Sixers were scorching in the first half, scoring 82 points in the first half on 12 of 15 shots out of 3. At one point in the second quarter, they scored in 13 consecutive possession. However, despite losing by up to 21 points in the third quarter, the Wizards did not follow in silence, led by Bradley Beal, who scored 57 of the 60 highest points of his career in the first three quarters. After Washington took the lead in the middle of the fourth period, the Sixers finally got out of the skid and made some important plays to prevail, 141-136. Bell time!

Joel Embiid: 38 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 5 turns

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

Strangely, tonight was a bad start for Joel, who missed his first six pitches. He changed things in a big way, however, and it was the MVP that the Sixers needed in the heart of the game. With the game tied at 131-131, with four minutes left, Embiid made a personal 8-0 to put the game to sleep. During that race, JoJo also went down the track to block an attempt at Bradley Beal’s lay-up, just to cement how he does everything at both ends. He hit 3 out of 4 out of 3, a perfect 13 out of 13 from the foul line, and had one of the most exciting moves in the game with a block in pursuit of former teammate Raul Neto in the second quarter. The MVP narrative is gaining momentum.

Seth Curry: 28 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 return

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

At first, Seth seemed to be in line for a historic night. He scored a perfect 5 out of 5 out of 3 in the first quarter, and then made his sixth attempt to score 20 points in the first half. All three of his assists prepared Embiid, while Curry was able to attract several defenders and kick back for an open Joel. Imagine leaving Embiid open! The power to shoot gravity. Although he was quieter in the second half, Seth hit three mid-range shots in the fourth half, all of which tied the game or gave the Sixers the lead. Ice in your veins!

Ben Simmons: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 steals, 3 turns

Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE photo via Getty Images

Ben’s 12 assists were a record for the season; they included a visionary cross-court pass from the crossbar to the opposite corner for a Tobias Harris 3, and a timely and accurate feed for Embiid under the basket to prepare the three-point play that broke the 131-131 draw. The pair later switched roles to the final basket of the Sixers, with Ben’s bucket underneath extending the lead to six and basically consolidating Philadelphia’s victory.

Tobias Harris: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turns

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

Tonight was a small step back for Tobias, barely finishing his four game streak with at least 20 points. He was still efficient, shooting 3 out of 7 out of 3 as part of an overall 8 out of 16 night. Overall, Harris surpassed the 10,000-point mark for his career during the game. Congratulations, Tobi!