by Wheat Hotchkiss
The Pacers (6-4) and 76ers (8-1) will meet on Tuesday night in Philadelphia for the second time in three days, but thanks to a unique scheduling wrinkle, Tuesday’s game actually has higher stakes than their previous contest.
That’s because Tuesday’s contest is designated as a group play game in the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament (IST). Indiana and Philadelphia are currently at the top of East Group A after both teams won their first group game. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will have the inside track to finish at the top of the group and secure a spot in the IST quarterfinals in December.
The Pacers will have revenge on the mind on Tuesday after dropping a 137-126 decision to the Sixers on Sunday. To change the outcome on Tuesday, the Blue & Gold will be focused heavily on slowing down the duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid, the reigning MVP, has tormented the Pacers for years and had another big night on Sunday with 37 points and 13 rebounds. But Maxey was even better, as the fourth-year guard went off for a career-best 50 points.
The Pacers have now surrendered 50 or more points to a player in two consecutive games, as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 54 in Indiana’s 126-124 win over Milwaukee on Thursday. Prior to those two games, the Pacers had only allowed 13 50-point games in over 47 seasons of NBA basketball.
In spite of their challenges on the defensive end, the Pacers continue to be a juggernaut offensively. Indiana currently leads the NBA in both offensive rating (122 points per 100 possessions) and assists (30.7 per game) and are second in 3-pointers per game (15.8) and 3-point percentage (.389).
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has taken his game to another level, recording double-doubles in eight of his first nine contests to open the season, including a 25-point, 17-assist performance in Sunday’s loss. Haliburton ranks 19th in the league in scoring at 23.8 points per game and his league-leading 12.2 assists per contest are a full two assists more than second-place Trae Young.
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 – Tobias Harris, F – Robert Covington, C – Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: None
76ers: Joel Embiid – questionable (sore left hip), Nicolas Batum – out (personal reasons), Kelly Oubre Jr. – out (fractured ribs)
Last Meeting
Nov. 12, 2023: The Pacers hung around with the Sixers for much of the night despite big nights from Maxey and Embiid, but Philadelphia pulled away late for a 137-126 lead.
Indiana rallied from a 19-point deficit and actually took its first lead of the night early in the fourth quarter, moving in front 105-104 on Aaron Nesmith’s layup with 10:45 to play. But the Sixers immediately answered with a 10-2 run and Maxey then took over to help keep the Pacers at bay over the final minutes.
Haliburton was brilliant in the loss, registering another double-double with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting (3-of-6 from 3-point range), 17 assists, and no turnovers. Myles Turner added 22 points while going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and also tallied five rebounds and three blocks.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome Maxey and Embiid, who combined for 87 points. Maxey set a new career high with 50 points, going 20-for-32 from the field and 7-for-11 from 3-point range, while also amassing seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Embiid added 37 points, going 12-for-26 from the field and 12-for-14 from the free throw line, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have dropped their last seven games against the 76ers, their longest active losing streak against any NBA team. Indiana’s last win over Philadelphia came on Nov. 13, 2021 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
- Indiana has also lost eight in a row at the Wells Fargo Center. The Pacers haven’t won at Philadelphia since Dec. 14, 2018.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle needs four wins to pass Frank Vogel for the most in NBA franchise history. Carlisle currently as 247 career wins in Indiana. Vogel had 250, while Hall of Famer Slick Leonard is the overall franchise leader with 529 career victories across the ABA and NBA.
- Myles Turner needs three 3-pointers to pass Billy Keller (506) for fourth place in 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)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 5:00 PM ET.