Sixers Bell Ringer: Maxey, Yabusele nearly lead Sixers to thrilling win in PG’s debut

Paul George was rusty in his debut, but Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele almost carried the team to a win in a heartbreaker vs. the Suns.

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 2
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 1
Guerschon Yabusele – 1

You were nearly rewarded if you stayed up late for this one.

The visitors gave a very good Suns team all they could handle, but Kevin Durant cooked and the Sixers’ offense went stagnant in crunch time in a 118-116 loss Monday night in Paul George’s debut.

There was obvious rust from George early, but his presence alone made a difference from the opening tip. His gravity opened up space for every other Sixer on the floor, most notably Tyrese Maxey. It looked like a functional NBA offense.

Early on Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele led the way. They’ve been the Sixers’ two best three-point shooters on the young season, as we all predicted. As a team, the Sixers made 20 threes on the night, no small thing considering how poorly they’ve shot it this season.

A big concern is the play of Andre Drummond. The veteran center struggled mightily all night, turning the ball over five times. Nick Nurse rode Yabusele most of the night — and was rewarded for that decision.

In the end, the Sixers’ offense couldn’t any good looks in crunch time. A Yabusele dunk on a roll at the 3:41 mark was their last made field goal. It’s to be expected with a group featuring so many new pieces.

Durant had no such issues, taking the game over the down the stretch and hitting a game-winning layup with 24 second left. George was able to shake loose for a decent look on a long two, but the ball rimmed out. Maxey got off a last ditch three but it was long.

The Sixers’ West Coast slate continues Wednesday when they’ll take on the Clippers as several players battle to have a revenge game. For now, let’s get to Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

It’s been a rough start to the season for Maxey. He’d gotten into a rhythm offensively over the last three games, but it’s still been tough sledding with no other shot creators for defenses to fear out there. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that George’s debut marked Maxey’s most efficient game of the season.

Two things stood out with Maxey’s game Monday: his three ball and his midrange game.

He was 6-of-15 from deep on the night, with several of those looks being the cleanest he’d gotten all season. Playing alongside George, Yabusele and Kyle Lowry created advantages all night long.

Though this gorgeous step-back he created mostly on his own (with a little help from Yabusele).

Maxey has talked about an emphasis on the midrange game and not challenging shot blockers at the rim as frequently. Monday was a strong example of how effective he can be doing that. This and-1 against KD had to feel good.

Don’t let it sway your decision, but it was also Maxey’s birthday. The electric guard turned 24.

Guerschon Yabusele: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

What a find Yabusele has been.

With how bad Drummond looked, this could’ve been a long night if Yabusele didn’t have a solid night. He did that and then some. The Frenchman was a revelation Monday, stuffing the stat sheet and continuing to knock down threes.

When Yabusele was drafted, some folks dubbed him the “French Draymond” because of his strong frame and versatile game. Even our own Seth Gupwell took to calling him “Draymond Verte” in a recent article. Yabusele continues to show off his basketball IQ and versatility on both ends.

The biggest difference from his first NBA stint is how well he’s shooting the three ball. After going 5-of-11 vs. the Suns, Yabusele is 11-of-28 from deep on the young season. If he can continue to give the Sixers strong small-ball five minutes while stretching the floor, he can be a serious weapon.

And after scorching Phoenix so many times from beyond the arc, he was able to beat Jusuf Nurkic on this roll and finish with a strong dunk.

Unfortunately, that would be the Sixers’ last made field goal.

But what a night for Yabusele, who set career highs in points, assists and rebounds. Even when Joel Embiid returns, Yabusele looks like he could play a massive role.

Paul George: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

Admittedly it was not the greatest debut for George. He looked like a guy that hadn’t played a game yet this season, committing seven turnovers and shooting 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. He also missed a last-second jumper that would’ve tied the game. He admitted to reporters postgame that he didn’t realize the Sixers were down two or else he would’ve gone for the three and the win instead of a long two.

The encouraging thing is how much better everything looked with him in the lineup. The Sixers recorded 27 assists on 40 made shots, by far a season high for dimes. He was also big defensively as the Sixers began taking the game over in the fourth quarter.

And when Embiid comes back, expect more shots like his first bucket as a Sixer.