Sixers Bell Ringer Season Rankings:
Jared McCain – 8
Tyrese Maxey – 6.5
Paul George – 3.5
Joel Embiid – 3
KJ Martin – 2
Guerschon Yabusele – 2
Ricky Council IV – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 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.)

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The Philadelphia 76ers officially have their first three-game winning streak of the 2024-25 season after defeating the Utah Jazz 114-11 on Saturday night.

The Sixers were without Andre Drummond (toe), KJ Martin (foot), Eric Gordon (oral surgery) and Jared McCain (knee surgery).

After an ugly start that saw the Sixers trail by double digits early, Philadelphia began to wake up thanks to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey carrying most of the weight on offense. After trailing by 15, the Sixers fought back and took a narrow lead over the Jazz at halftime.

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, the third was a repeat of the first. The Sixers looked lost and lethargic again, letting the Jazz take control of the contest again. It depends (as it always seems these days) on the wire. With just over three minutes to play, a Maxey three-pointer finally gave Philly the lead again, but it would take until the very final seconds for that score to make it 114-111.

Embiid and Maxey led the field with 32 points each.

The Sixers’ West Coast road trip continues: Philadelphia will visit the Portland Trail Blazers to close out 2024 on Monday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

Joel Embiid: 32 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks

Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Blame it on travel or the aftermath of the Sixers’ holiday win over the Celtics on Wednesday, but no one was ready to play in the first period and Embiid was no exception. The big guy failed to keep his shots from coming off the floor in the first frame and scored six points in the first period, four of which came from the charity stripe.

Something changed for the rest of the game, however, as Embiid seemed less inclined to settle for mid-range jumpers that weren’t there, instead going to work in the post and pushing opponents back toward the basket. Embiid seems to be getting more and more comfortable with the fluid footwork, relying on it to create space to shoot rather than always just forcing brute force from the faceoff ball. Playing the two-man game with Maxey to get inside the arc and then using his own weapons to finish toward the rim led to much easier completions for Embiid, as well as an abundance of drawn fouls on trips to the line , where he went 11-for 13 – all without too many moments of recklessly risking his body.

Whether it was the 32 points on offense (tied with Maxey at the helm) or one of his numerous defensive moments (including four steals and three blocks), Embiid was able to transform the game on both sides of the Sixers to take over completely,’ he had to do it. He had four turnovers and it wasn’t exactly the most efficient shooting night from the floor (10 of 21 on field goals and 1 of 4 from distance), but Embiid still got the job done tonight.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Maxey, like the rest of the Sixers, couldn’t do much in the first period. He only had two points after the first 12 minutes and both were at the foul line. Then, thankfully, he came to life in the second. From just two points in the first period to 13 points in the second, Maxey really hit his stride when he stopped pulling from the outside on every possession and instead started using his speed and taking advantage of Embiid to get through or around Jazz get around defenders in the paint and in the cup. As he moved more downhill and worked with Embiid to create space in a two-man game, Maxey had more success looking more easily at the basket, drawing fouls and passing better.

Maxey’s long-range shooting is still somewhat inconsistent throughout games this season, with the guard appearing to struggle from beyond the arc before firing multiple three-pointers in a given sequence. That was the story again tonight. Maxey hit five of 13 three-pointers attempted against the Jazz, and while fans would like to see more of them fall as the game went on, he did did Hit them when they matter most. Maxey scored three goals from long range in the decisive fourth period, including two within a minute, as the Sixers regained the lead with just a few minutes left in the game.

Maxey finished Saturday night with 32 points, six assists, two steals and a block.

Guerschon Yabusele: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Yabusele has developed into one of the most reliable players the Sixers could ask for. He is a constant source of inspiration for Philadelphia in almost every aspect of the game, and tonight was no exception. He scored 12 points on 4-for-7 field goal shooting (2-for-4 from outside) with eight rebounds and two assists.

But this is why I don’t just look at statistics when I talk about Yabusele. His numbers are more than decent off the bench, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t tell the whole story. Eight rebounds with five on offense is great as is, but it doesn’t show that one of those boards (or more) were there on plays like this:

Talk about turning trash into gold. The is what Yabusele does.

Sure, the numbers look pretty good on their own, but what matters is how he earns those numbers. He extends the Sixers’ possession on the glass or creates it through tough defense. He’s careful with the ball (zero turnovers now against the Jazz and Celtics), can make great passes, and will sink the basket the team needs to gain momentum in a game.

Maybe he doesn’t score 32 points like Embiid and Maxey, but that’s not his job. Honestly, I’m not sure you can ask so much more from him the way he’s playing right now.