Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 23.5
VJ Edgecombe – 16
Joel Embiid – 14.5
Paul George – 9
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5
Justin Edwards – 4
Andre Drummond – 3
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Porter Martone – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1
Bad news — the Sixers lost the first game of their conference semi-final matchup against the Knicks 137-98.
Good news — the Sixers escaped in one piece,
and none of the starters played 30 minutes just 48 hours after an exhausting Game 7 dogfight in Boston.
Jalen Brunson led the rested Knicks with an innocuous 35 points on 66% shooting (12-of-18 FG), while Karl Anthony-Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby combined for 52 points on 72% shooting (21-of-29 FG).
The Sixers, however, struggled to produce offense from the head of the snake. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey tallied only 27 points combined on 30% shooting (6-of-20).
The Knicks defensive consistency in the halfcourt will be the Sixers’ biggest hurdle this series. Getting out in transition more would help open things up, but that can only happen if the Sixers force a miss on defense and grab the rebound. Both prerequisites did not happen often on Monday.
Weeding through the mess of this game reveals a couple Bell Ringer-worthy performances.
Paul George: 17 points, 6-of-11 FG, 4-of-6 3PT, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
George continues to be a constant presence, and was the one of two Sixers to carry over their offensive efficiency from Game 7 against the Celtics through the quick turnaround. He found his rhythm early, sinking a three off the catch after a Joel Embiid double team. He drilled another in the first off the dribble attacking Mitchell Robinson on a screen, and then opened the second quarter with a deep ball from the left wing.
George found Kelly Oubre Jr. multiple times in the first half. Once on a post pass to a cutting Oubre for a dunk, and then kicking out to Oubre after an effective drive for an open three.
Later in the first half, after an extended Knicks run, George found Embiid in the post with a perfect entry pass that lead to a tough finish at the rim. The next possession he would nail a pull-up jumper over Josh Hart after creating space with his dribble.
George was the only Sixer making shots by the time the third quarter started, nailing another three and a floater before Nick Nurse pulled the starters midway through the frame. The Sixers were down 31 points.
Kelly Oubre Jr. 12 points, 5-of-8 FG, 1-of-2 3PT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Oubre finally hit a three and played with a high energy level on both ends throughout the game, even starting the contest with a block on Hart. He had a couple frustrating turnovers, but showed he can be a factor offensively as a cutter in this series. Multiple dunks off timely backdoors cuts helped keep the offense afloat through most of the first half. He was the team leader in rebounds, which is an unsustainable gameplan moving forward, but noteworthy in a team-wide effort deprived of energy.
