Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey total 64 points in hard-fought win over Utah Jazz

Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Jared McCain – 8
Tyrese Maxey – 6,5
Paul Georges – 3,5
Joel Embiid – 3
KJ Martin – 2
Guerschon Yabusélé – 2
Conseil Ricky IV – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr – 1
(No poll was released after the 12/16 win over Charlotte, so in a first for the Liberty Ballers, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey each received half of a Bell Ringer.)

The Philadelphia 76ers are officially on their first three-game winning streak of the 2024-25 season after beating 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 lose by double digits early, Philadelphia began to wake up thanks to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey carrying the majority of the offensive weight. From 15 points down, the Sixers came back strong to take a slight lead over the Jazz before the halftime break.

The third was unfortunately a repeat of the first for Philadelphia. The Sixers once again looked lost and lethargic, letting the Jazz regain control of the competition. That (as always seems to be the case these days) would come down to a matter of thread. A triple from Maxey with just over three minutes left finally put Philly back in the lead, but it would take until the absolute final seconds to secure this one 114-111.

Embiid and Maxey led the field with 32 points each.

The Sixers’ west coast road trip continues with Philadelphia traveling to the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET on Monday night to close out 2024.

In the meantime, let’s ring the bell.

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

Photo par Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Blame it on the travel or the hangover from the Sixers’ win over the Celtics on Wednesday, but no one was ready to play in the first half and Embiid was no exception. The big guy couldn’t knock his shots from the floor in the opening period and managed six points, four of which came from the charity stripe in the first half.

However, something changed for the rest of the game, as Embiid seemed much less inclined to settle for mid-range jumpers that weren’t there and instead went to work in the post, driving his opponents backwards towards the bucket. Embiid seems increasingly comfortable with the fluidity of his footwork, relying on that to create space to shoot rather than always having to force things through the intimidation ball. Working the two-man game with Maxey to get into the arc and then using his own weapons to finish toward the rim led to much easier finishes for Embiid as well as a plethora of drawn fouls for trips to the line where he shot 11-for-13 – all without too many moments where he recklessly risked his body.

Whether it was the 32 offensive points (tied for the floor lead alongside Maxey) or any of the multiple defensive moments he had (including four steals and three blocks), Embiid was able to completely take control of the game on both ends when the Sixers” needed it. He had four turnovers and it wasn’t exactly the most efficient night’s shooting from the floor (10-of-21 on field goals and 1-of-4 from long range), but Embiid still did his job 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 half. He only had two points after the first 12 minutes and they were both at the foul line. Then he came back to life in the second, fortunately. From just a few points in the first half to adding 13 points in the second, Maxey really got into his groove when he stopped shooting from the outside in every possession and instead started using his speed as well as ‘to work on Embiid to get through or around Jazz. defenders in the paint and in the cut. Once he got downhill more and worked on creating space through the two-man play with Embiid, Maxey found more success through easier looks at the bucket, shooting fouls and better passing.

Maxey’s long-range shooting is still a bit inconsistent throughout games this season, with the guard appearing to struggle from beyond the arc before ripping down multiple triples in any given sequence. It was history again tonight. Maxey made five of 13 threes against the Jazz, and while fans would like to see more fall throughout the game, he did hit them when it mattered most. Maxey hit three from long range in the crucial fourth period, including two in less than a minute as the Sixers regained the lead with minutes remaining.

Maxey finished Saturday night with 32 points with 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 become one of the most reliable players the Sixers could hope for. He’s a constant source of momentum coming off the bench for almost every aspect of Philadelphia’s game and tonight was no exception. He had 12 points on 4-of-7 field goal shooting (2-of-4 from outside) with eight rebounds and two assists.

But here’s why I don’t just look at stats when talking 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 including five on the offensive end is fine as is, but that doesn’t show you that one of those rebounds (or more) came on plays like this:

Talk about turning trash into gold. What This is what Yabusele does.

Sure, the numbers look pretty good on their own, but that’s how he earns those numbers. He extends Sixers possessions on the glass or creates them with tough defense. He is careful with the ball (zero turnovers against the Jazz and Celtics now), can make excellent passes, and will leak the bucket the team needs to change momentum in a game.

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