Sixers Bell Ringer: Maxey’s excellence continues vs. Kings, Sixers win fourth straight

It required a full team effort, but the shorthanded Sixers defeated the recently newsworthy Sacramento Kings. One former Kentucky guard outshined the other — can you guess which one?

Sixers Bell Ringer Season Standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 10
Jared McCain – 8
Joel Embiid – 7
Paul George – 7
Guerschon Yabusele – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr – 2
Ricky Council IV – 2
KJ Martin – 2
Justin Edwards – 2
Adem Bona – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers swept their back-to-back following a 117- 104 victory against the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Andre Drummond, KJ Martin, Caleb Martin and Jared McCain, who was selected for the 2025 Rising Stars game despite being ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Tyrese Maxey followed up a 43-point performance on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers with 30 points, eight assists and a block in Wednesday’s contest. The Kings consistently sent two defenders at him and he picked them apart, making the right pass to the open man, leading to easy points.

The Maxey double-teams and Kings’ periodic zone defense opened up the floor for everyone, and the Sixers took advantage with Eric Gordon, Ricky Council IV, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Kyle Lowry all finishing in double digits.

The Kings would start the third quarter on a 24-8 run, stretching their lead out to 12 points by running in transition, scoring quickly, and attacking the paint.

Guerschon Yabusele would aid Maxey in catching the Kings with a couple of buckets including a massive corner three that cut the lead to five points. Maxey pressed the issue during the Sixers 21-7 counter attack, accounting for seven points and an assist. Reggie Jackson also accounted for seven points, but it would not be until Council IV stole De’Aaron Fox’s cookie and took off for an electric reverse jam that the momentum officially turned in the Sixers’ favor.

The Sixers held a two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and did not look back, playing their best defense of the game. They surrendered only 17 points and forced the Kings to shoot 29% from the field in the final frame.

Don’t look now but the 76ers are on a win streak. Let’s get to Bell Ringer…

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Tyrese Maxey: 30 points (12-for-24 FG), 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Tyrese Maxey has made one strong case to sneak onto the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves list. His 30-point performance on Wednesday has him averaging 33.3 points per game during the win streak, and 31.5 points per game since Jan. 6 (entering Wednesday), higher than every player in the league besides Shai Gilgeous Alexander. Maxey has shot 50% or better from the field in just 12 games this season, seven of them have been in the month of January.

Maxey’s feel for the game on Wednesday tracks with how well he has played recently. He refrained from forcing too many shots and let the game come to him, attacking decidedly and deferring when necessary.

The most notable aspect of Maxey’s performance was his leadership given the circumstances. He came out the gates hot in the first half, providing an energy that his teammates fed off of quickly. He played a pivotal role in getting the Sixers back in the game in the third quarter, and hit a couple of key buckets late in the fourth quarter, understanding his role as the interim first option given Embiid’s injury status. He made sure there was no sign that this team played just 24 hours prior. That’s Bell-Ringer material.

Eric Gordon: 14 points (3-for-4 3PT), 2 assists, 2 steals

The 17-year veteran is continuing to hit shots from deep — and deeper. He has made at least three threes in five straight games and has done so in eight of his last 10 games. As the fantastic graphic from NBC Sports Philadelphia displayed on the broadcast, his turnaround this season could be attributed to a medical procedure:

With two steals in the first quarter, Gordon helped the Sixers stay even with the Kings. His hot shooting streak is not only aiding the Sixers, but helping his potential trade value as well, if that is the direction the front office wants to take. A respectable veteran performance combined with that graphic yields Bell Ringer consideration.

Kyle Lowry: 13 points (3-for-4 3PT), 8 assists, 5 rebounds

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Kyle Lowry must be mentioned for his solid performance helping facilitate the offense, and defensively slowing down the dynamic guard duo of Fox and Malik Monk.

Four of his eight assists came during the aforementioned third quarter run, one of which was the pass to Council IV on his reverse dunk.

In the fourth quarter, Lowry would make his 2,200th career three-pointer. The North Philly native is only 20 threes away from tying Jamal Crawford for 12th on the NBA all-time three-pointers made list.

Ricky Council IV: 13 points (6-for-6 FT), 1 rebound, 1 steal

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Council IV was flying around the court on Wednesday, resulting in a highlight-reel dunk and an attempted dunk which brought him violently to the ground thanks to DeMar DeRozan.

According to Liberty Ballers Josh Grieb, Council IV had his left wrist wrapped in ice following the game, got checked, and was fine.

Council IV has also been gathering a better feel for the game lately, especially after his 16-point game against the Lakers, he could begin earning some trust from the coaching staff to play important minutes. He played into the final two minutes of the game on Wednesday, drawing a verbal note from color analyst Alaa Abdelnaby. The more Council IV can control himself in the halfcourt, the better, as evident with this solid drive to the cup on Monk.

If you are wondering why his free throw line is displayed up top, it is because Wednesday’s matchup against the Kings was only the second instance in Council IV’s young career he has shot 100% on free throws on at least six attempts. Perhaps worthy of Bell Ringer consideration.