Sixers Bell Ringer: Tyrese Maxey and the Blue Coats put up a good fight until Dame Time puts them to bed

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

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

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

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

Maxey, who played 21 of a possible 24 minutes in the first half, kept the game within striking 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, finishing with 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting to go with 15 rebounds. Damian Lillard’s Dame Time put the Sixers to bed as he hit three threes in the fourth to put the game away.

Now let’s talk Bells:

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 total. He was quick in the lane, bent defenses to his will, and his three-pointer was menacing.

But when he sat, his value was most evident. The Sixers’ offense looked atrocious without him. It was aimless and unthreatening when he rested. His teammates drove past and seemed afraid to drive. Not surprisingly, 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 field combined. If the 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, but you always want to take that fight in a season like this. If he can keep this game going (two Bell Ringer nominations in a row!), he can secure that backup five position for the rest of the season.