Sixers Bell Ringer: Andre Drummond and Seth Curry stand out in pre-season loss to Toronto

After three and a half months without the Philadelphia 76ers basketball, they returned to the court on Monday for their preseason opener and fell to the Toronto Raptors 123-107. Both teams were without key players, including Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Pascal Siakam. Led by an overabundance of lanky, multifaceted wings, the Raptors used a 21-2 run midway through the first half to gain control and never dragged the rest of the night.

The Sixers will look to snag their first preseason victory on Thursday when they face the Raptors at Wells Fargo Center at 7 p.m. ET. Monday’s loss won’t stop us from anointing the first Bell Ringer of 2021-2022, however.

Andre Drummond: 19 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks, three assists, five turnovers

In his debut with the Sixers, the veteran center was a two-way street in the first half, registering 17 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and two assists. He exploited the shortness of the Toronto forward field with a few self-created buckets, was active defensively on the inside and showed off his playmaker chops. The second half gave way to a some neglect as a passer and he only played six minutes after intermission, but Drummond had a quality first game with Philadelphia.

Seth Curry: 14 points, four steals, two assists

Behind 14 points out of 63.6% of actual shots (6 of 11 in total, 2 of 3 in depth), the guard turned flamethrower did not miss a beat after his scorching run in the playoffs. He was aggressive in chasing his shot, constantly attacking in the paint and proved to be a nuisance defensively, squeezing in four interceptions. Understandably, head coach Doc Rivers and Co. chose not to have him play after half-time, so Curry ended his night with 14 points in 17 minutes before the break.

Paul Reed: four points, 10 rebounds, three blocks, two steals

Despite a 2 of 7 shooting performance, Reed impressed on the bench. Flying around the field as only he can, he grabbed six offensive boards, was an inside threat defensively, and contained a few ball handlers on the outside of the paint. While none of his long balls found the net, he was a quick and willful shooter when given the chance, which is important to his development as a big pick-and-pop. Reed’s engine never runs cold and on Monday he gave an encouraging start to his 2021-22 season.