RSS 76ers Team Notes

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Joel Embiid officially out for Sixers’ next three games

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers holds his hips during the game against the Miami Heat at Xfinity Mobile Arena on February 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Well, it turns out this was a highly-anticipated injury report for both teams.

Ahead of their showdown with the Boston Celtics on NBC Sunday, the Sixers have officially ruled out Joel Embiid for their next three games with a right oblique strain.

This happened to Embiid earlier in the week against the Miami Heat, when he got Kel’el Ware to bite on a pump fake, causing him to jump and hit Embiid in the ribs with his knee inadvertently. He didn’t really miss much of that game due to it, but he was favoring his midsection the entire rest of the contest.

After a quick 4-of-7 start the game, Embiid was clearly hampered by this. He shot 4-of-13 the rest of the night with two ugly turnovers. Here’s a clip of the play where it happened.

Joel Embiid has gone to the locker room with discomfort in his ribs from this inadvertent knee from Kel'el Ware pic.twitter.com/LMsaDiiM0r

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) February 27, 2026

Embiid was not a participant at the Sixers’ most recent practice. A team spokesperson told reporters that he had been feeling an increase of soreness in the area since that Heat game and still had some consulting with the team’s medical staff to do.

Joel Embiid did not participate in practice today. He’s reporting increased soreness in his right side. Meeting with medical staff and his status will be updated with the injury report later today.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) February 28, 2026

Upon the release of the official report, the team announced that Embiid underwent an MRI that revealed the strain, ruling him out for the two games following Boston as well.

An MRI today revealed that Joel Embiid suffered a strained right oblique, per Sixers.

Embiid will miss the team’s next three games and be reevaluated following the upcoming back-to-back.

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) February 28, 2026

This once again puts the Sixers in a precarious spot as they desperately try to cling on to the sixth seed in the East. They went 1-4 in their most recent five-game stretch without Embiid, three of those losses being decisive blowouts at that. It’s also a bummer because we will again be robbed of the rematch between Embiid and Victor Wembanyama when the Spurs come to Philly early next week.

So the Sixers will be shorthanded, but at least they won’t be the first team to take on the Boston Celtics at full strength this season. Despite the rumblings and weird advertisements tied in with NBC, Jayson Tatum will not be making his season debut Sunday night.

Tatum of course hasn’t played since last May, when he tore his Achilles tendon in his right leg during Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. It’s truly remarkable that he’s so close to returning this was even considered a possibility by some. At least the Sixers caught this break, and they won’t see Tatum unless these teams see each other in the playoffs.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...id-officially-out-for-sixers-next-three-games

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Embiid-less Sixers face final regular season meeting with Celtics

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 11: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on November 11, 2025 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are headed to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics for the fourth and final time this regular season.

Joel Embiid will not be shipping up to Boston, however, after an MRI on Saturday confirmed that Embiid suffered a strained right oblique in the team’s win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night. He will miss the Sixers’ next three games (including Sunday’s) before being re-evaluated. Other than Embiid, Philadelphia will also continue to be without Paul George on Sunday as he sits out his suspension.

After facing off three times in the first three weeks of the season, the Sixers and Celtics haven’t met since way back in November. Philadelphia actually leads the series against Boston so far with two wins and one loss, but all three games were extremely close — the largest margin being two points, the other games decided by a single point.

For this fourth and final meeting the Celtics will, despite rumors and rumblings as of late, still be without Jayson Tatum, who has not played this season after tearing his Achilles tendon in his right leg in the playoffs last season.

Baylor Scheierman also is questionable for Boston for Sunday due to a thumb fracture. Scheierman isn’t a name you might not recognize, but the sophomore guard has actually become a bigger piece of the Celtics rotation as of late. He played 24.3 minutes per game in February and started in the Celtics’ last six contests, averaging 8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds while playing some good defense in that span.

Even without Tatum this season, Boston has been looking pretty damn good, especially since the turn of the calendar year. The Celtics have won 10 of their last 12 games and are currently second in the Eastern Conference at 39-20, trailing only the 44-14 Detroit Pistons.

Jaylen Brown has been far and away the Celtics leader all season, averaging a career-high 29.1 points per game in 53 contests, but he has a supporting cast playing good basketball right now as well. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White are chipping in career-highs of 17.3 points and 17.1 points per game, respectively.

There’s also Nikola Vucevic, who was moved to Boston from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline. He has played just eight games with the Celtics but came alive for a big double-double in their most recent contest, putting up 28 points on 9-for-13 field goal shooting and 3-for-3 from long range with 11 rebounds. Sure, it was in a blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets, but still something to watch as Vucevic continues to acclimate to the Celtics squad.

The Sixers have been on a positive streak recently as well — a short one, but positive nonetheless — winning their last three games in a row and putting momentum back in their favor after losing four straight prior. The most recent two of those victories came with the help of Embiid, while the first (against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves) was without him. Philadelphia has been shooting the ball well (or at least better than their usual) in that three-game stint as well, hitting 51.7% from the floor and 42.3% from long range.

It’s a good thing that the Sixers have been hotter from beyond the arc, too, because they’re likely going to need those threes to keep up with Boston. As of Saturday evening, the Celtics are second in the NBA in offensive rating at 120.2. For reference, the Sixers are more of a middle-of-the-pack team at 15th (115.0) in the category.

This is going to be a tough one for the Sixers sans Embiid to kick off a busy March, with 16 games in the month. It is certainly possible, with Philadelphia having done it before without their star center back in that two-point victory way back in November, but that’s ancient history now. Based on how the Celtics have been playing recently, it’s likely going to be one of those games the Sixers need everyone at their absolute best: they’ll need Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to both score and facilitate well, Kelly Oubre Jr. to keep shooting as well as he has the past couple weeks, Quentin Grimes to chip in off the bench, everyone doing their jobs defensively, and someone… anyone… to be aggressive rebounding.

It’s going to take everyone.

The Sixers and Celtics tip off from TD Garden at 8 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Sunday, March 1, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Watch: NBC, NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ics-joel-embiid-jaylen-brown-game-preview-nba

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: 56 points from Maxey-Edgecombe duo not enough to beat Celtics

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 1: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 1, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 8
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

The Philadelphia 76ers fell 114-98 to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Sunday night. It was the fourth and final meeting between the teams this regular season — they split the series 2-2.

Joel Embiid was out for this contest (as he will be for the Sixers’ next two as well) after being diagnosed with a right oblique strain. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe tried to pick up the slack, scoring 33 and 23 points respectively, but it simply wasn’t enough to keep up with the Celtics.

This was one of those quintessentially annoying Sixers’ losses. They made more of a game out of it than maybe was expected going into this contest and they did some things great against a really tough opponent… but at the same time, they were so horrendous in other areas, like poor rebounding and making Neemias Queta look like prime Dwight Howard all evening. Always a mixed bag with this Philadelphia squad.

Next up on the schedule for the Sixers is a back-to-back starting on Tuesday night hosting the San Antonio Spurs and then hosting the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. The team has already announced that Embiid will be out for both contests before being re-evaluated.

Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.

VJ Edgecombe: 23 points (5 three-pointers), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

VJ Edgecombe was the only one keeping the Sixers alive as the Celtics started to pull away in the later half of the second period. Especially with Maxey icy cold at the time, Edgecombe was the only reason the Sixers still had a chance in this one as we entered the second half, where he kept delivering. The rookie was just consistently good tonight, from efficient shooting and smart playmaking to some aggression on the boards with a side of some good defense.

The Sixers asked a lot of Edgecombe tonight with some of the lineups they had him out there with, and just frankly how much they needed him throughout overall, and he delivered. Tonight was another example of the rookie playing beyond his years and seemingly thriving even more when the pressure is on.

Edgecombe ended this one with 23 points (including five triples) with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Oh, and stay to the end of this video for what might be the best effort play of the season from him.

Absolutely have to shout out VJ Edgecombe for his performance tonight. Shooting wasn't always perfect but he kept the Sixers in that one at times. A lot was asked of him and he delivered.

23 PTS, 5-11 3PT, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK

The rookie's highlights vs. Celtics pic.twitter.com/a0A3BRMVef

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) March 2, 2026

What a rookie.

Tyrese Maxey: 33 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

It was a tale of two halves for Tyrese Maxey tonight. The first half was one Maxey will quickly want to forget.

Fortunately, he seemed to do just that. After an inefficient first half from Maxey, the third period brought a much more familiar version of the All-Star guard, with Maxey putting up 13 points in the penultimate frame (and tacking on seven more in the fourth) after putting up 13 in the entire first half.

Obviously it would be great to never have a bad start or a bad half, but it’s great to see how Maxey can recover even after a cold streak of shooting. After going just 4-for-18 from the floor in the first 24 minutes, Maxey turned things around a bit to shoot 8-for-16 in the second half. He not only started making more shots but just seemed to be a lot smarter about which shots he was taking as the game progressed. Even if the game situation felt like it demanded more urgency than the first half, he seemed to settle in and not worry about forcing things that simply weren’t there. The opportunities that were there — whether it be to launch from long range, drive straight through the Celtics defense, or to dime up a teammate — he took advantage of.

Maxey finished Sunday night with a game-high 33 points with three rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks.

needed it pic.twitter.com/wzR60czhKk

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 2, 2026

Dominick Barlow: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals

Dominick Barlow might not have contributed the amount that Maxey or Edgecombe did, but he chipped in here and there with some good stints when it was needed.

His biggest offensive contribution came from seven points in the third period that he absolutely battled for, whether it meant coming up with a defensive play and taking it coast-to-coast or drawing contact on the offensive end to get to the line.

Barlow was the Sixers’ third-highest scorer tonight with 14 points on 4-for-7 field goal shooting and 6-for-8 from the charity stripe. Especially on a night where the bench is almost completely unproductive offensively, it’s huge to have that sort of contribution from Barlow. Not only that, but Barlow was one of the few Sixers fighting for rebounds, and he even put up some solid defense on some of the best players the Celtics squad has to offer, including Jaylen Brown.

He finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds (two offensive), one assist and three steals.

And yet, he didn’t play a single second in the fourth period. Don’t ask me why.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ics-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-dominick-barlow

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Editor-in-chief mailbag: How’s everyone feeling?

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 1: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics grabs a rebound away from Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at TD Garden on March 1, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Sixers won three straight. The third win was a pretty crucial one, staving off the Miami Heat’s push for the sixth seed and evening the season series, putting the all-important tie-breaker still in play with the season series tied 1-1.

Unfortunately, Joel Embiid suffered a flukey oblique injury and the Sixers proceeded to lose to the Boston Celtics on the road Sunday night. They now welcome Victor Wembanyama and the red-shot San Antonio Spurs to Xfinity Mobile Arena Tuesday.

It’s almost impressive the way this team can kill good vibes.

I have my thoughts on what went wrong in Boston, though the reality is the Celtics are just the better team — especially with Embiid and Paul George not in the lineup. What do you think the team’s biggest issues are when Embiid is out? Hit me with your questions and comments below.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...editor-in-chief-mailbag-hows-everyone-feeling

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers make a game of it, but Boston’s edge on the glass too much to overcome

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 1: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 1, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Credit to the rook for even keeping them in this game.

The Sixers’ three-game win streak was snapped with a 114-98 loss to the Boston Celtics Sunday night. They are now 33-27, still one game up in the loss column for the East’s sixth seed thanks to a loss earlier in the day from the Orlando Magic.

Tyrese Maxey, who got going as the second half progressed, led all scorers with 33 shooting 12-of-34 from the floor along with six assists. VJ Edgecombe, with a stellar 5-of-11 night from deep, dropped 23 points along with five rebounds.

Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta led the Celtics with 27 apiece.

Joel Embiid missed his first of at least three games with an oblique strain.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter​

• It was quite a flashy start, with Maxey and Edgecombe each nailing their first pull-up threes of the game. Maxey shook his defender with a good crossover on two possessions in a row — he nailed the midrange J but missed that three-point attempt.
• Offensive rebounding was a problem from the jump, with Boston grabbing four within the first five minutes of the game. There were plenty of Celtics bricks to grab early, and the Sixers’ quick pace covered that up for the time being.

VJ Edgecombe with the moves in transition pic.twitter.com/YOJzV1qckl

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Adem Bona gave the Sixers a shot in the arm down low, but similar to Andre Drummond his contributions were more on the offensive end. He was the only Sixer to score for a four-minute stretch as they conceded a 10-1 run. Dominick Barlow nailed and a catch-and-shoot jumper to end that, but he was inside the arc so the Sixers held just a two-point lead after one.

Second Quarter​

• For the non-Maxey minutes, Nick Nurse went with all the bench ball-handlers alongside Edgecombe. Quentin Grimes missed his first two pull-ups while Trendon Watford made his first pair of push shots that kept the offense afloat. Cam Payne just picked up one assist in his first four minutes of action.

Trendon Watford gets on the board to start off the second quarter for the Sixers pic.twitter.com/nuSKp1vEZ3

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Drummond made his first three of the night, but he really struggled on the other end, chasing around Queta who was suddenly flirting with a 20-point half. This game again exposed how thin they are at center when Embiid is out of the lineup, with Bona picking up his third foul to boot.
• The Sixers went nearly four minutes without a field goal after that Drummond three. Maxey already began to teeter before he left the game and then missed several tough shots when he checked back in. He finally got a tough and-1 floater towards the end of the half. Drummond knocked down another three, but got T’d up for his celebration. Another overaggressive double team led to Brown kicking out to an open three at the buzzer, one that put the Celtics up by 12.

Third Quarter​

• Two quick threes to start the second half gave Boston their largest lead of the night. A four-point play from Edgecombe was a good response, and Maxey followed with a trip to the line, but both followed with missed shots in the paint, ending their brief momentum.

4-point play for VJ Edgecombe! pic.twitter.com/BiuBpGjN69

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• Edgecombe has been shooting really well on pull-ups in the midrange as of late but it was behind the arc in this one. To say it was all they had was an understatement — through three quarters, only three of his teammates had also made a three-pointer.
• His only help for much of the quatrer was Barlow. His three steals helped the 14 points he had, but he was aggressive enough to get to the line eight times as well. Maxey finally got some baskets to go with fast break layups and runners. He threw a really nice skip pass on one break to Grimes, and hit a tough stepback three to get the Sixers within six points.

Fourth Quarter​

• Both starters in the backcourt stayed out there to start the quarter and each knocked down another three, but their flurries showed just what it took to keep the lead where it was, much less eat into it. The aggressive double teams didn’t stop against the Celtics, the most three-point hunting team in the league, and the Sixers paid for it again and again.

VJ Edgecombe gets up for the dunk — he's got 22 points and counting tonight. pic.twitter.com/HqSiiTL67Q

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 2, 2026

• They were in no position to risk it, but the Sixers picked up an extremely weak flagrant midway through the fourth. Queta hit Edgecombe hard with a screen but drew no foul, so Kelly Oubre Jr. gave Queta a hard push in retaliation. In ref wars though the Sixers at least got one back a few possessions later. After trying all game Edgecombe finally drew an offensive foul on a Brown push off. No one got the worst of it though than the fan Edgecombe inadvertently kicked leaping into the crowd to save a loose ball.
• Nikola Vucevic killed Bona earlier in the quarter stepping out, and Queta continued to kill Drummond with the starters in down the stretch. On top of his 10 offensive rebounds, he continued to beat the Sixers defense and force them to put him on the line. Finally in the last minutes of this game the Celtics put the game away in a way it felt like they should have way earlier in the half.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...cap-tyrese-maxey-vj-edgecombe-dominick-barlow

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Rockets Pick Tracker: Solid week keeps Houston in place

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 2: Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets dunks the ball during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 2, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

With Houston playing good ball out of the All-Star break this a reminder that yes, you are still allowed to be mad at the Jared McCain trade.

The Rockets seem to have gotten their act together since this blog started tracking their progress and the 2026 first-round pick they owe to the Sixers. They went 3-1 over their last week of action, dropping only a matinee game in Miami to the Heat.

That’s kept their pick at 25th overall, just where it was a week ago. Houston’s schedule remains fairly easy, at least in the short term. They’ll host a banged up Golden State Warriors team this week as well as the Portland Trail Blazers before heading to San Antonio to take on the Spurs.

Anyone rooting for losses can at least take solace in the fact that those two home games are a back-to-back, and that Spurs matchup projects to be quite a battle.

Last week the tracker briefly touched on some of the draft prospects that have been mocked in that range, and this week’s will serve as somewhat as a channel guide to watch some of these guys with the college regular season winding down.

Amari Allen from Alabama remains Tankathon’s mock pick for the Sixers here. The Crimson Tide’s last two regular season games are March 3 against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNNEWS and Auburn at 8:30 on March 7 on ESPN.

Joshua Jefferson and Iowa State have only one remaining regular season game, that will also be March 7 at 2 p.m. ET against Arizona State.

It doesn’t feel likely that Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg would fall to them in this range, but their center Aday Mara has been mocked closer to where the Sixers might be picking. The Wolverines last two games are on March 5 at 8 p.m. ET against Iowa and on March 7 at 4:30 p.m. ET. You can catch that one on CBS.

Pick status this week: 25​

Pick status last week: 25​

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...ick-tracker-solid-week-keeps-houston-in-place

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers sleepwalk in drubbing by Spurs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 3: Jabari Walker #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on March 3, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 9
Paul George – 6
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

---

The 76ers were on the wrong end of an old-fashioned butt-whooping from the Spurs on Tuesday falling 131- 91.

The throwback broadcast was spoiled for Philly fans after one quarter, as the Spurs’ talent advantage presented itself rapidly against the undermanned Sixers.

They were without Joel Embiid (right oblique strain) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) on Tuesday night, leaving Andre Drummond as the starting matchup with Victor Wembanyama, which went as well as you would expect.

A competitive first quarter from the Sixers saw strong stretches from VJ Edgecombe, Adem Bona and Justin Edwards, but it quickly faded in the second quarter as the home squad got outscored 46- 28.

VJ with the oop, but the Sixers have work to do pic.twitter.com/FOWh6tCqVu

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) March 4, 2026

Within a blink of an eye in the third, the Spurs had opened up a 40-point lead off the back of strong shooting from deep and nonexistent defensive effort from the Sixers.

Tyrese Maxey put up a quiet 21 points on 19 attempts, did not hit a three after the first quarter, and finished with two assists. Credit goes to a strong defensive backcourt in San Antonio.

Edgecombe had a strong showing before he left the game early with lower back soreness after taking a hard fall on this play:

VJ Edgecombe lands hard on his back after this contest by Carter Bryant. Will be curious to see if he plays in the second half with the Sixers down 25 at halftime. pic.twitter.com/sfEOPKmy0j

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) March 4, 2026

Thus, our Bell Ringers will be picked from our garbage time opportunist and a familiar face.

Jabari Walker: 20 points, 7-of-10 FG, 2-of-5 3PT, 4-of-4 FT, 6 rebounds, 2 offensive rebounds

Walker was the sole garbage-time performer deserving of recognition. He got his first minutes in the third while the Sixers were down 39, and drew a foul after grabbing an offensive rebound, and hit both free throws. Later in the frame he would drain a corner three.

In the fourth, Walker would add a couple of close shots, a dunk and another corner three to push him to 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He notched two and-1 buckets in a row later in the quarter, bringing his total to 20 points on the night.

It was a welcome sight for Walker, who has seen his minutes shrink in recent games. He broke a dry spell in the scoring column, entering Tuesday having not made a shot in almost two weeks. Perhaps this showing will turn the tide for him offensively as the Sixers could desperately use any help on that end.

Jared McCain: 20 points, 8-of-15 FG, 4-of-9 3PT, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound

Our long lost friend Jared McCain put up an undeniable stat-line against the Bulls in 25 minutes of action, helping the Thunder win without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

pic.twitter.com/vMdVCEbYy1

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 4, 2026

Tonight was the kind of night Sixers fans dreaded after the questionable trade deadline. A poor performance at home where McCain’s services would have been a useful asset or at the very least entertaining for fans in the stadium, as opposed to them exiting early with most of the second half still to go.

All hustle pic.twitter.com/U4aZfsz4Xu

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 4, 2026

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/76er...er-sixers-sleepwalk-in-dismantling-from-spurs