Bell Ringer Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 3.5
VJ Edgecombe – 3
Jaylen Brown – 2.5
Joel Embiid – 1
LeBron James – 1
Anfernee Simons – 1
Dean Wade – 1
No nap, no problem for the Sixers. They defeated the Indiana Pacers 131-124 on Sunday afternoon, moving to 11-3 on the season.
Joel Embiid was out with plantar fasciitis management, and LeBron James returned to action following his absence against the Raptors.
The Sixers’ interior defense let the Pacers run up their total in the first half, but the Sixers’ offense
proved too much for Indiana in the latter half. Three Sixers finished with six or more assists in what was a transition-filled effort.
Let’s get to Bell Ringer.
Jaylen Brown: 31 points, 12-of-18 FG, 3-of-6 3PT, 5-of-6 FT, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Jaylen Brown came out the gates firing against Indiana, making seven of his first 10 shots and scoring 16 points through the first 14 minutes of game time. Most of his work came in the midrange, creating space from the defender with the fadeaway and draining it time and time again.
He showcased his pose and ball-handling in the post, understanding that the double team likely will not come to help, and using his length and athleticism to get the shot over the defenders.
His focus appeared reengaged after last week’s dud against the Celtics and sloppy night against Toronto on Thursday. He nabbed a steal early in the first half, and made three of six attempts from deep.
It was Brown’s most efficient scoring game of the season.
Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 9-of-19 FG, 5-of-10 3PT, 4-of-5 FT, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Maxey continues to be the ringleader for the squad, intersplicing his speed drive, pullback crossover and step back to keep the defense off balance. His change of pace ability allows him to stay a step ahead of the defense, and his supporting cast lets him take advantage of the space he creates with ease.
Paired with his marksman ability to shoot, the Pacers were effectively unable to guard him. Maxey found success at all three levels on Sunday.
His passing has also been crucial to the Sixers’ offensive success, and he displayed it tonight with six assists. He found multiple guys in transition, but none better than this lob to LeBron James on a fastbreak.
LeBron James: 15 points, 5-of-8 FG, 5-of-6 FT, 11 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 block
His passing ability opens up the floor for everyone, and was evident against the Pacers. With his 11 assists, he passed Jason Kidd on the NBA’s all-time assists leaders. He added crucial buckets inside and helped push the pace for the Sixers in transition.
James is doing everything his body is allowing him, filling lanes in transition and hitting cutting teammates with slick bounce passes on multiple occasions against Indiana.
