Sixers Bell Ringer: Tyrese Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele nearly led the Sixers to a thrilling victory in Paul George's debut

Sixers Bell Ringer regular season rankings:
Tyrese Maxey – 2
Jared McCain – 1
Kelly Oubre, Jr. – 1
Guerschon Yabusele – 1

If you stayed up late for this, you would almost have been rewarded.

The visitors gave a very good Suns team all they could handle, but Kevin Durant was seething and the Sixers' offense faltered at crucial times in a 118-116 loss in Paul George's debut on Monday night .

George was obviously upset at the start, but his presence alone made the difference in the early stages. His gravity opened up space for every other Sixer on the floor, most notably Tyrese Maxey. It looked like a functioning NBA offense.

Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele were the early pioneers. As we all predicted, they were the Sixers' two best three-point shooters this young season. As a team, the Sixers made 20 three-pointers on the night, no small feat considering how poorly they have shot this season.

A big concern is Andre Drummond's play. The veteran center struggled all night, turning the ball over five times. Nick Nurse rode Yabusele for most of the night – and was rewarded for that decision.

Ultimately, the Sixers offense failed to make a good impression in crunch time. A Yabusele dunk at 3:41 was their last made field goal. That's to be expected from a group with so many new pieces.

Durant had no such problems, taking the game all the way and hitting a game-winning layup with 24 seconds left. George managed to get a good look with a long two, but the ball went out of bounds. Maxey made one final three-pointer, but it took a long time.

The Sixers' West Coast slate continues on Wednesday when they take on the Clippers as several players vie for a revenge game. First let’s talk about Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 32 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

It was a difficult start to the season for Maxey. He had found a rhythm on offense over the last three games, but it was still difficult with no other shot creators out there for the defense to fear. It seems no coincidence that George's debut was Maxey's most efficient game of the season.

Two things stood out about Maxey's game on Monday: his three-ball game and his midfield game.

He was 6 of 15 from deep on the night, with some of those looks being the cleanest he had gotten all season. Playing alongside George, Yabusele and Kyle Lowry gave advantages throughout the evening.

However, he created this beautiful throwback largely on his own (with a little help from Yabusele).

Maxey has talked about putting the emphasis on the midfield and not challenging the shot blockers at the edge as often. Monday was a strong example of how effectively he can do that. That And-1 against KD had to feel good.

Don't let that affect your decision, but it was also Maxey's birthday. The electric security guard was 24 years old.

Guerschon Yabusele: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

What a discovery Yabusele was.

As bad as Drummond looked, this could have been a long night if Yabusele hadn't had a good night. He did that and more. The Frenchman was a revelation on Monday, filling the stat sheet and continuing to hit threes.

When Yabusele was drafted, some people called him the “French Draymond” because of his strong frame and versatile game. Even our own Seth Gupwell called him “Draymond Verte” in a recent article. Yabusele continues to showcase his basketball IQ and versatility on both ends.

The biggest difference from his first NBA stint is how well he shoots the three-ball. After 5 of 11 against the Suns, Yabusele is 11 of 28 from deep this young season. If he can continue to give the Sixers five minutes of strong small ball while stretching the floor, he can be a serious weapon.

And after scorching Phoenix from beyond the arc so many times, he was able to beat Jusuf Nurkic on that shot and finish with a strong dunk.

Unfortunately, this would be the Sixers' last made field goal.

But what a night for Yabusele, who set career highs in points, assists and rebounds. Even if Joel Embiid returns, it looks like Yabusele could have a huge role.

Paul George: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

Admittedly, it wasn't the best debut for George. He looked like a guy who hadn't played a game this season, committing seven turnovers and shooting 4 of 14 from the field and 1 of 7 from three. He also missed a last-second jumper that would have tied the game. After the game, he admitted to reporters that he didn't know the Sixers were down by two points, otherwise he would have gone for the three and the win instead of a long two.

The encouraging thing is how much better everything looked with him in the lineup. The Sixers recorded 27 assists on 40 shots made, by far a season high for Dimes. He was also strong defensively as the Sixers began to take over the game in the fourth quarter.

And when Embiid returns, expect more shots like his first basket as a Sixer.