Sixers Bell Ringer: Maxey and the Blue Coats fight well until Dame Time puts them to bed

Tyrese had something for Doc Rivers and Adem Bona built on his momentum… but the case for the tank grows stronger

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Jared McCain – 8
Joel Embiid – 7
Tyrese Maxey – 7
Paul George – 6
Guerschon Yabusele – 3
Kelly Oubre Jr – 2
Ricky Council IV – 2
KJ Martin – 2
Justin Edwards – 2
Adem Bona – 1

---

In a rematch of both their season-opening games, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. It was the Sixers’ 26th starting lineup since that oh-so-long-ago opening night.

Adem Bona was the new face for the team’s first five. He earned it after a great showing against Indiana last night. What better way to reward him than assigning him to guard Giannis Antetokoumpo? He put up a valiant effort but Giannis and the Bucks scored inside at will. Even more than at will, 24 of their 30 first-quarter points were scored in the paint.

To open the second quarter, the Sixers went on a 15-2 run and gained a five-point lead. But that would be the last time they were up.

Maxey playing 21 out of a possible 24 first-half minutes kept the game within punching distance, but the Bucks never looked rattled. The Sixers would cut the deficit to as low as three late in the third quarter, but the Bucks would go 6-of-11 from three in the final frame, putting the game well out of reach.

Giannis was dominant all game, ending with 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting to go with 15 rebounds. Damian Lillard’s Dame Time made for the Sixers’ bedtime as he hit three threes in the fourth to tuck the game away.

Now, let’s talk Bell Ringers:

Tyrese Maxey: 37 points, 50% fg, 7 assists, 6 rebounds

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Tyrese Maxey had his best game of 2025. As mentioned, he only left the court for three minutes in the first half and seven minutes in total. He was speedy in the lane, bending the defense to his will and his three-pointer was threatening.

But when he sat, his value was most obvious. The Sixers’ offense looked atrocious without him. It was aimless and unthreatening when he rested. His teammates overpassed, and looked scared to drive. Unsurprisingly then, he finished with the team’s second-best plus-minus (minus-5) despite playing 41 minutes in a 14-point loss. It was the best he’s looked in a while and a reminder of what he’s capable of even against a top defense.

Adem Bona: 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block

Bona was 100% outmatched against Giannis and Brook Lopez, but no one told him that. He played with more energy than the other nine players on the court combined. If And-1 Mixtape was still a thing, this would have been his cult-star-making moment as he had two electrifying and-1s in the first quarter — one over Giannis and one over Bobby Portis.

He ended up fouling out but you’ll always take that fight in a season like this one. If he can keep this run of play going (two Bell Ringer nominations in a row!) he may secure the backup five position for the rest of the season.