Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers flop at home in a miserable loss for Blazers

Season Stand Sixers Bell Ringer:

Joel Embiid – 10
Tobias Harris – 5
Shake Milton – 3
Ben Simmons – 2
Tyrese Maxey – 1
Dakota Mathias – 1

Ben Simmons sat out this game with a tight left calf and Seth Curry left the game after hitting a hard screen, reportedly unwell (and Doc Rivers indicated that there could still be persistent COVID effects after the game). At least we can get away knowing that the entire starting grid is still undefeated as there wasn’t much to be happy with this Sixers feat. The Sixers missed their first 12 3s and eventually landed on a Danny Green triple in the middle of the third quarter. While Joel Embiid’s incredible first half (more below) held Philadelphia level at halftime, things fell apart in the third quarter, with Portland beating the Sixers, 40-19. Things never improved much from then on and the Blazers eventually won, 121-105. It really was a terrible result for the Sixers against a Portland team that missed Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. Let’s pick a Bell Ringer and then forget it.

Joel Embiid: 37 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 turnovers

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images

Embiid hyperextended his knee in the first quarter and landed awkwardly on a chased block of Enes Kanter. The worst-case scenarios flashed through the minds of Sixers fans when Embiid went to the locker room. But not only did Joel return to the game a few minutes later, he also went on to score 25 points in the second quarter alone, tying Andrew Toney’s franchise record for the most points in a quarter. Embiid continues to hit mid-range jumpers as if he were alone in the gym with YouTube videos playing in the background. The big man finished 14-of-21 off the field, and also held his parade to the foul line, where he went 9-of-9. I wish Joel had gotten a little more help tonight, so we could have seen him perform in the time of a close game the way he cooked.

Isaiah Joe: 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 turnover

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images

Good night to fast-growing Isaiah Joe online as Joe got eight minutes from the second half and knocked down two of his three tries from behind the arch. On a night when none of the regulars could hit a shot from the outside, Joe’s silky smooth sweater was a breath of fresh air.

Vincent Poirier: 0 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 0 turnover

Tonight was Poirier’s first performance since January 7, as he was out for an extended period due to COVID. Nice to see the big man healthy and back on the track.