Sixers Bell Ringer Season Rankings:
Jared McCain – 8
Paul George – 3.5
Tyrese Maxey – 3.5
Joel Embiid – 3
KJ Martin – 2
Guerschon Yabusele – 2
Justin Edwards – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Ricky Council IV – 1
(No poll was released after the 12/16 win over Charlotte, so Paul George and Tyrese Maxey each received half a Bell Ringer in a Liberty Ballers first game.)

Shot.

Without Joel Embiid, the Sixers were clearly dominated by the best Cavaliers in the league on Saturday evening in Cleveland with a score of 126:99.

Tyrese Maxey got off to a good start, but was never joined by him at any point during the evening.

The Sixers and Cavs were actually tied 30-30 after one. Cleveland then closed the second quarter with a big run, making over 60% of its three-pointers in the first half and heading into the locker room with an 11-point lead.

There have been some setbacks for the Cavs… but not nearly enough. Cleveland outclassed the Sixers in every aspect of the game Saturday night, finishing the game with a 33-21 third quarter that extended its lead to 23.

The Sixers are now 9-17 this season and still outside the play-in list. Next up is a home game with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.

But first a bell ringer with really only one choice.

Tyrese Maxey: 27 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

Maxey got it going early, going on a personal 8-0 run to force an early Cavaliers timeout. He added two assists and four more points as it looked like he could potentially lead the offense on a night they desperately needed it.

After a quiet second quarter, Maxey did his best to get the Sixers back into the game early in the second half. At the 5:24 mark of the third, he managed to cut the lead to eight with a triple, forcing another Cleveland timeout. The Cavs responded with another flurry of threes and their lead never fell below double digits again.

It’s nice to see Maxey finding his shot from distance again. There have been many strange theories and opinions as to why Maxey was struggling from three early in the season. He was 5 of 10 on Saturday and is now 18 of 38 (47.3%) in his last four games. should Alleviate these concerns.

The problem against the Cavs was that Maxey had trouble finishing inside the arc. That’s not unusual for smaller guards against the huge frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, but it seemed like Maxey missed some decent looks he had created for himself.

On a night that didn’t go particularly well for any Sixer, Maxey was easily his best player. Feel free to vote for someone else in the poll and leave your choice in the comments.