Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers’ supporting cast wins big victory over Chicago

Sixers Bell Ringer season ranking:

Joel Embiid – 16
Ben Simmons – 7
Tobias Harris – 6
Milton Shake – 4
Tyrese Maxey – 1
Dakota Mathias – 1
Matisse Thybulle – 1

With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons out due to health and safety protocols after their barber tested positive for COVID-19 last week, things could easily have been pushed aside in this opening for the second half of the season. Instead, the rest of the Sixers’ squad played a rather perfect game, smashing Chicago by 127-105, despite having been beaten behind the hoop, as usual. It is just that, on Elton Brand’s birthday, Philadelphia’s central position played an important role in the victory. For the Bell Ringer candidates, with apologies for the omissions – it was a fantastic victory for the entire team tonight:

Matisse Thybulle: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals, 1 turnover

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Matisse was the guy who set the tone for the Sixers from the start, collecting four steals in the first five minutes of the game, a week’s work for many players. Thybulle was all over the place defensively, even in plays where he was not credited to the box scoreboard; a move to alter Wendell Carter, Jr.’s shot in the rim and avoid two easy points comes to mind. Then, in the second half, Matisse took his talents to the other side of the court, confidently entering his pitch and draining three 3s. It was a night out of 5 out of 5 from the field with five robberies, basically the statline Matisse Thybulle that you can find in Sixers fan erotica.

Tony Bradley: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 0 turnovers

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The Sixers are no strangers to having great center games against the Bulls this season (see: Joel Embiid’s 50-point game), and Tony Bradley has followed that tradition. In just 22 minutes as a starter, the usual third emergency stringer landed a perfect 7-of-7 on the field, showing a soft touch around the rim, tremendous energy in the offensive glass and even some ball handling skills in the public audience . Bradley also provided Joel rim protection, which earned the tip of the big man’s own cap:

After the game, Doc Rivers credited how hard Bradley works, saying he lost 25 pounds this season. It’s nice to see that Tony has time to shine tonight.

Tobias Harris: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 return

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Tobias didn’t miss the 50 points Doc Rivers joked he wanted from Tobi’s pre-game, but the Sixers striker jumped a 0 out of 5 from start to finish with another efficient performance of 20 plus points (8 out of 15 on the field, 7 8 of the foul line). Harris took things to the basket, being soiled in a dunk with one hand on the floor that would have buried the mentions of my co-host Daniel Olinger. At the end of his 25 minutes of action, Tobias was hitting absolutely ridiculous jumpers.

Dwight Howard: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turns

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There were some of the moments of shaking Dwight’s head in this contest, the screen moving here, the fouls of playing opposing players like rag dolls there. But these pieces were far outnumbered by positive moments from Howard, who channeled his energy into chewing on glass and applying paint, while exhibiting extremely experienced work as the pick-and-roll man. My favorite Dwight move was a post-up, though, with Howard facing Lauri Markkanen and hitting him in the face so hard that the whole of Finland felt it. Overall, I have loved Dwight Howard’s experience this season.