by Jordan Morey
After playing five games in seven days on home court, the Indiana Pacers are taking a three-game winning streak to the City of Brotherly Love.
The Eastern Conference first-place Philadelphia 76ers (7-1) will host the No. 3 Pacers (6-3) on Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena. The Pacers will stay in Philly following the game, as they will play Sixers in In-Season Tournament (IST) action on Tuesday.
Indiana, winner of four of its last five games, enters Sunday’s matchup coming off a thrilling 126-124 Thursday night victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (5-3).
Despite two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo posting an NBA season-best 54 points Thursday, the Pacers came up clutch in the final moments to come away with the comeback win.
Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had 29 points and 10 assists for his seventh double-double in eight games, and second-year wing Bennedict Mathurin tallied his first career double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Indiana trailed the Bucks by 10 points with seven minutes remaining, but with 1:41 left, down by two, Haliburton drained a 3-pointer to put the Blue & Gold back ahead. A trio of defensive stops, including a stripped ball by Mathurin on Antetokounmpo with 30 seconds left, and free throws helped the Pacers complete the comeback.
While a small sample size, Indiana’s offense has posted impressive numbers thus far this season, posting the league’s top offensive rating (121.5). The Pacers have scored no fewer than 120 points over each of the last five games, which includes draining 20 or more 3-pointers in four games (like against the Bucks).
As of Friday morning, the Pacers were averaging the most points (126.0) and assists (30.7) per game, ranked second in field goal percentage (.496), fourth in 3-point percentage (.387) and played at the fastest measured pace in the league.
Seven Pacers players are averaging double-digit scoring, led by Haliburton’s 23.6 points per game and league-leading 11.6 assists average. Mathurin has played exceptional recently posting a combined 48 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists over the last two games.
Despite trading 10-time NBA All-Star James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 1, the Sixers have continued to prove they’re among the elite teams in the East. After dropping its season opener to Milwaukee, the Sixers have won seven consecutive games.
Philadelphia has dominated Indiana in recent times, winning six straight games against the Pacers. Last season, the Sixers went 4-0 against the Pacers, making the first time the Sixers swept the season series against the Blue & Gold for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
As of Friday morning, the Sixers ranked in the top five among several metrics as a team, including third in fewest points allowed per game (110.9), fourth in rebounds (47.1) and defensive rating (106.2), and fifth in points per game (119.3) and points in the paint per game (55.7).
Center Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, has continued to dominate the league again this season, averaging 27.3 points on 50.1 percent shooting, 11.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. The 7-footer put up big numbers against the Pacers last season, averaging 34 points on 70.5 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
In an expanded role, Sixers point guard Tyrese Maxey has made another significant jump this season, posting 25.4 points, 7.0 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, while Tobias Harris (19.3 points per game) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (17.4) also have put up consistent scoring numbers.
Philadelphia comes into the game following a 114-106 IST win against the Detroit Pistons (2-8) on Friday night – its first victory in the inaugural event. The Pacers are currently 1-0 in IST East Group A play after beating the Cavs 121-116 on Nov. 3. Atlanta will commence its IST draw on Tuesday at Detroit.
Against Detroit the Sixers fell behind by 12 points in the first quarter before outscoring the Pistons 66-40 in the second half.
Philadelphia shot just 42.2 percent from the field, including 9-for-28 on 3-pointers, but made 35 of 41 free throw attempts in the game.
Embiid accounted for 33 points and 16 rebounds, Maxey logged 29 points and 10 assists, and Harris put up 24 points.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Bruce Brown, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Obi Toppin, C – Myles Turner
76ers: G – Tyrese Maxey, G – De’Anthony Melton, F – Kelly Oubre Jr., F – Tobias Harris, C – Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: None
76ers: None
Last Meeting
March 18, 2023: The Indiana Pacers fell behind by 10 points in the first quarter and couldn’t recover in a 141-121 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Both teams were missing All-Star guards in the matchup, as Tyrese Haliburton and James Harden were both sidelined with injuries.
The 76ers shot an impressive 61.4 percent as a team, outscoring the Pacers 62-58 in the paint while turning the ball over just eight times total. Indiana shot just 12-for-31 from 3-point range while the 76ers made 15 of 35 from deep.
76ers center Joel Emibiid – then the NBA’s leading scorer – and Tyrese Maxey posted 31 points each in the win, while forward Tobias Harris chipped in 24.
Six Pacers scored in double digits, with Aaron Nesmith (25 points), Andrew Nembhard (22), and Myles Turner (20) leading the effort.
Noteworthy
- Pacers backup center Jalen Smith missed his second game of the season on Thursday due to a sore lower back. Smith is averaging 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds with the second unit.
- Indiana’s bench has 466 points through nine games, which is the most in the NBA.
- Rick Carlisle has 247 career wins as head coach of the Pacers. He is four short of passing Frank Vogel for most Pacers head coaching wins in NBA franchise history.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)