Sixers Bell Ringer: The Sixers are absolutely damned; Embiid, McCain and Yabusele lead the Grizzlies in losses

Sixes Bell Ringers regular season standings:

Jared McCain – 6

Tyrese Maxey – 2

Paul George – 2

Guerschon Yabusele – 2

Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 1

It’s starting to feel a little like Groundhog Day with this team. Just me?

The Philadelphia 76ers fell 117-111 to the Memphis Grizzlies in a game where Paul George left early with a hyperextended left knee (yes, the same knee, again).

There were many Sixers fans’ eyes on this game to see how the team would respond on the court after an eventful start to the week off the floor. After an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Miami Heat on Monday night, the team held a postgame locker room meeting that reportedly included Tyrese Maxey calls out Joel Embiid for being late “for everything”. Just another day at Sixers Drama School.

The team had some good news ahead of the game that Maxey, who has been out the past six games with a hamstring strain, would play. The Sixers’ Big 3 of Maxey, Embiid and George were finally set to play their first game together 14 games into the season. Jared McCain also kept his position in the starting five.

Well, the big 3 did play together, but it wasn’t the dramatic debut fans might have hoped for. Maxey was on a minute restriction and George struggled to shoot before leaving the game early with a hyperextended left knee, so the trio played just a few minutes together. Of course.

A lot of this game boiled down to the fact that the Sixers can’t hit three-pointers, and the Grizzlies sank everyone. After narrowly trailing to end the first frame, Memphis hit eight triples in the second to take a double-digit lead over Philadelphia — they never trailed again. For maximum mayhem, the Sixers decided to go on a 9-0 run toward the end of the fourth that pulled them within two possessions of the Grizzlies. But of course they fell short in the end. The Sixers have lost five in a row.

For a complete recap of tonight’s competition, check out ours here!

The 2-12 Sixers must now return home after a disaster of a road trip to host the 6-9 Brooklyn Nets in some NBA Cup group stage action on Friday night.

Until then, let’s get to the Ringer if anyone still cares.

Joel Embiid: 35 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Embiid looked the best tonight he has so far this season. I know, not the highest bar to clear and he is certainly not at the top of his game… but right now him playing decently and looking more comfortable is something to be thankful for. Tonight he looked aggressive in a way he hasn’t consistently to begin this campaign. He didn’t just settle for jumpers, he made contact, used his body more, went vertical with more ease and finished strong.

The question has been, as Embiid continues to get back into the groove after starting the season late, whether he’s able to sustain those things through an entire game. Tonight he did. Embiid continued his aggression on offense while also integrating more activity and commitment on defense in the second half – something he wasn’t great at in the first 24 minutes tonight. He held his own and his performance level well for over 35 minutes on the floor tonight. It is a big step in the right direction.

Embiid finished with a team-leading 35 points on 10-for-21 field goal shooting (14-of-14 from the line) with 11 rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

Fans have a very low patience level for Embiid right now and I don’t blame them. But this is a step in the right direction. He seems to have started to trust his knee and himself physically a lot more. He is more aggressive when making contact, finishing strong and making fouls. His stamina is noticeably better and longer lasting. These are all good thing. It’s easy for fans to not see the forest for the trees right now with anything regarding this team, especially when it comes to Embiid, but this was a decent game from the big man and hopefully a sign of better things to come from him.

Guerschon Yabusele: 17 points (5-for-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Yabusele was inserted late in the first period Wednesday night after only appearing late in the third period Monday night against the Miami Heat. Tonight, Yabu certainly seemed like he wanted to prove that he belongs in Nick Nurse’s early game rotation, and he did.

With 17 points off the bench, the Dancing Bear was absolutely on fire from long range, sinking 5-of-6 (83.3%) attempts from beyond the arc. The Sixers sank just 11 total triples out of 33 attempts – one of many horrible patterns to plague this basketball team. Having someone who can come off the bench and shoot them with confidence and without hesitation is a huge boost to the Sixers production.

Even when he’s not making his shots, Yabu fights to make things happen. Of his four rebounds tonight, three were on the offensive end. On the one triple he missed against the Grizzlies, Yabusele tracked down the offensive board and turned it into an assist on an Andre Drummond dunk. He is the hustle and energy this team so desperately needs when it comes to rebounding.

Yabusele finished with 17 points on 6-for-8 field goal shooting including the five triples mentioned earlier and added four rebounds, two assists and a block. All in just over 19 minutes on the floor.

Jared McCain: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

This is the sixth straight 20-point performance by McCain. It somehow already feels normal and expected of the 20-year-old guard, but he just continues to impress.

McCain is confident in his footwork and athleticism to drive right around any number of defenders, finishes smoothly at the rim and isn’t afraid to let it fly from long range, even if they don’t all fall to him. His passing continues to exemplify experience beyond his years, including this smart and accurate no-look shilling to Yabusele for a transition bucket:

McCain finished second only to Embiid in scoring for the Sixers with 20 points on 6-for-13 field goal shooting and 3-for-7 from long range. He also had two rebounds and five assists.

It wasn’t a perfect night for McCain with three turnovers and some struggles on the defensive end, but when you put it all in the context of him being in his 14th career game, it’s simply amazing how refined and successful this boy has. the game is already.