Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers sans Embiid fall flat in home loss to Suns

The Philadelphia 76ers fell 109-99 to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night in the Sixers’ first home game in two weeks.

Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Jared McCain – 8
Joel Embiid – 7
Tyrese Maxey – 6.5
Paul George – 4.5
Guerschon Yabusele – 2
KJ Martin – 2
Ricky Council IV – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers took the floor at the Wells Fargo Center for the first time in two weeks and were treated to (deserved) boos from their fans after putting up an embarrassing effort in a 109-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Joel Embiid was ruled out for the contest Monday afternoon for a foot sprain that Sixers’ coach Nick Nurse said Embiid suffered a few games ago. The big fella is day-to-day and the injury is considered “nothing major,” according to Nurse. Kyle Lowry was also ruled out for this one with hip soreness and Andre Drummond was a very late scratch, ruled out just before tip due to a toe sprain.

The first half of this game was ugly, and not even in an interesting way. In a “neither team can shoot the ball” kind of way. The Suns managed just 16 points in the first quarter and then the Sixers’ took up the horrible basketball reins in the second frame, shooting just 7-for-22 (32%) from the field. After a truly lackluster 24 minutes of ball, Philadelphia led 46-42.

A 10-0 Suns’ run in the third put Phoenix back on top for the first time since the first basket of the game by Kevin Durant put them up 3-0. The Suns as a team weren’t doing anything wild and spectacular either, the Sixers just seemingly stopped being able to score (even more so than in their 46-point first half). A burst of scoring from Kelly Oubre Jr. to end the third gave the Sixers a chance to get back in the game, but the team squandered it. The Suns built their lead back up and defeated the Sixers 109-99.

The Sixers will be back out on the floor at the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday evening to host the Washington Wizards who have managed just six wins this season.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. This was a really ugly game without a lot to be proud of, but there’s a few guys that I can shout out.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Facing one of his old teams (Oubre played for the Suns from 2018-2020), Oubre put up a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Sixers on Monday night and was the team’s most efficient scorer, shooting 9-for-18 (50%) from the floor with one triple.

Oubre’s biggest moment on Monday was putting together a burst of scoring in the third period. With 3:24 left in the period, Oubre had 10 points total in the contest. Under three and a half minutes later when the buzzer sounded to end the third frame, he had 23. When no one for Philadelphia could get anything going, Oubre turned aggressive for the rest of the game. He was taking everything to the cup, into traffic and not only finishing at the rim but drawing a number of fouls in the process. In one sequence towards the closing of the third, Oubre drew shooting fouls on three consecutive possessions including converting two three-point plays.

Then, to beat the buzzer, Oubre sank a 31-foot triple and pulled the Sixers within five points going into the final frame.

Now, the Sixers ruined it by allowing the Suns to pull away again right at the start of the fourth (through no fault of Oubre, who was on the bench at that point), but Oubre deserves credit for being the only reason the Sixers even had a chance in the fourth. Not only was he successful in kicking up the offensive production, but he seemed to be the only one playing with any heart at that point in the contest.

Guerschon Yabusele: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Yabusele has appeared in every single game for the Sixers’ this season — the only member of the squad with perfect attendance. It’s a good thing, too, because Yabusele has found success with every role the team has slotted him in. Tonight, he started in place of Andre Drummond who was a late scratch for the contest with a toe sprain, and delivered yet again with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double on Monday night.

Yabusele was able to help the Sixers from the perimeter in the first half thanks to the Suns seemingly deciding not to cover him on the arc to start the game. Nine of Yabusele’s 12 first-half points were on three triples and none of them were exactly contested. He also had success working the pick-and-roll with different teammates and even put home a great slam on a beautiful Caleb Martin bounce pass off a two-man play.

The Suns actually started defending Yabusele more in the second half and made offensive production more difficult for him, but he kept finding ways to help his team. He is always the guy going after every single board and battling for every loose ball as well as staying engaged and aggressive defensively. Yabusele continues to be one of those players that, if you just watch a Sixers game here or there, you might not think he’s a major factor for this team. But looking at consistency and reliability in being a net positive for the Sixers, Yabusele has constantly been the player doing all the little things right for Philadelphia.

Yabusele finished Monday night with 14 points on 5-for-12 field goal shooting (three triples) with 10 rebounds (five offensive) as well as an assist and a block.

Tyrese Maxey: 31 points, 10 assists, 2 steals

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

It’s usually hard to look at the guy that scored the most points of the entire field and criticize, but Monday night might be the exception. I actually battled with whether or not Maxey should be a candidate tonight. If you just look at the box score, you’d think “he led the field with 31 points and had 10 assists, of course he’s an option”, but let me explain. The problem for me is that Maxey’s best run in this game that led to those stats came too little, too late. He did already have nine of his 10 assists by the fourth, but the final frame was the only real solo success Maxey had throughout the night. He had missed some open threes, had a number of turnovers and really didn’t get into any sort of groove with the exception of the fourth period run. Especially with Embiid sidelined and Paul George’s shooting leaving a ton to be desired, Maxey unfortunately does not have the luxury of not getting himself going until the final frame if the Sixers’ want to win games.

However, the fourth period was, in itself, a good showing for Maxey. He suddenly was hitting those triples even off the catch-and-shoot and was piling on the points, but it was just too late. Sixteen of his 31 points came in the fourth period by way of four triples, a midrange jumper and a couple of foul shots. In one stretch of just under two minutes midway through the frame, Maxey scored 11 consecutive points for the Sixers. It was a showing of the best that Maxey can be for this team, just not enough of it. Despite his efforts, the Sixers’ just couldn’t claw their way back into this one.

Maxey ultimately led the field with his 31-point, 10-assist double-double, shooting 11-for-25 from the floor, 6-for-14 from long range and adding two steals on the defensive end.