Sixers Bell Ringer: James Harden leads the way in solid victory over Toronto

Apr 1, 2023 - 2:59 AM

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Sixers Bell Ringer standings

Joel Embiid - 26

James Harden - 17

Tyrese Maxey - 12

Tobias Harris - 5

Shake Milton - 4

Paul Reed - 4

De’Anthony Melton - 4

Georges Niang - 1

Montrezl Harrell - 1

Matisse Thybulle - 1

Jalen McDaniels - 1

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Toronto Raptors at home, 117-110. They played excellent basketball in the first half, creating a 20-point lead at one point. The Raptors’ defense, however, got them back into this game — cutting the 20-point lead to three at one point. In the end, the Sixers took care of business with several players stepping up in a solid victory. Let’s dive in tonight’s Bell Ringer:

James Harden: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

The comments about James Harden’s Achilles worried many, and a performance like this couldn’t have come soon enough to ease some nerves. Harden caught fire in the second quarter, and ended the first half with a blistering 17 points and seven assists on 77.8 percent shooting. Not only did the Sixers stay afloat while Embiid was in foul trouble, they extended and built a 15-point lead. The Sixers’ offense collapsed in the second half, but Harden scored a few crucial buckets against O.G Anunoby to help ice the game. The Raptors have no shortage of long and athletic defenders, and it was refreshing to see Harden getting to his spots and capitalizing with ease.

Joel Embiid: 25 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Embiid was limited by foul trouble in the first quarter, but ended this game with a productive stat line that you’d expect from a MVP candidate. Much like Harden, I thought Embiid was moving a bit better in this game than he did a game ago vs. Dallas. We all know the Raptors swarm him on every touch, and he primarily matched up against Jakob Poeltl — who is an underrated, big-bodied five. To Embiid’s standard, you could probably label this as an “off game” considering he had five turnovers. Still, he logged an efficient 25 points and 12 rebounds, and anchored the Sixers’ defense in a solid win.

Paul Reed: 11 points. 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 0 fouls, +7

The Sixers have multiple free agents this summer, and none of them have maximized their potential contract value like Reed has over the past few weeks. His first half was flawless for a backup big — nine points, 100 percent shooting, four rebounds, two assists, and one block with zero turnovers or fouls. Tonight, playing time was extended due to Embiid’s early foul trouble, and he stepped up and produced in a major way. Harden and Bball Paul’s chemistry continues to grow, and hopefully it’ll carry over into the postseason.