by Raegan Walsh
After falling to the third-best team in the West on Tuesday, the Pacers hope to see a different outcome when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers, the East’s third-best team, Thursday night.
The Pacers held their own against the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday but were ultimately defeated, 114-109, in their return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. After 10 lead changes in the first three quarters, Indiana rallied for the final time to claw itself back from a 13-point deficit with a 21-7 scoring run late in the fourth quarter and take a one-point lead with 3:18 to play. However, Indiana finished off the game 2-of-9 from the floor, which allowed Denver to overtake them and run away to a five-point lead.
Indiana struggled from 3-point range, shooting just 5-of-21 from beyond the arc. The fifth-best 3-point field goal shooting team in the league had entered the matchup after shooting 42.3 percent (47-of-111) over their previous three games.
Additionally, the Pacers were again without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will miss his third straight game Thursday night as he manages a left hamstring strain. Both T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard, who tallied 17 and 15 points respectively and dished out seven assists apiece on Tuesday, have alternated taking Haliburton’s spot in the starting lineup. McConnell played a pivotal role in the fourth quarter comeback on Tuesday after scoring 11 points in the final frame on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting clip from the floor.
Myles Turner, who scored a team-high 22 points against the Nuggets, has averaged 20.3 points over Indiana’s most recent three games. Turner recorded a season-high 29 points to go along with 12 rebounds in Portland on Jan. 19.
On Thursday, two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam will take to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor for the second time since being acquired by Indiana on Jan. 17. The newest Pacer has put up double-figures in his three outings in an Indiana uniform, averaging 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per contest. In Tuesday’s matchup with Denver, Siakam recorded his first double-double with the Pacers as he notched 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Philadelphia (29-13) enters the matchup in the midst of a six-game win streak.
The Sixers are led by the reigning NBA MVP, Joel Embiid, whose franchise-record 70 points on 24-of-41 shooting Monday night propelled Philadelphia to a 133-123 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The dominant center has averaged 36.1 points per game this season as he currently owns a franchise-best streak of 21 consecutive 30-point outings dating back to Nov. 17.
Embiid is accompanied by Tyrese Maxey’s 25.8 points per game this season and Tobias Harris’ 17.7 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting from the floor.
While Indiana leads the league in assists, averaging 30.9 assists per game, Philadelphia ranks 22nd with 25.4 assists per contest.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – T.J. McConnell, G – Buddy Hield, F – Aaron Nesmith, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
76ers: G – Tyrese Maxey, G – Kelly Oubre Jr., F – Nicolas Batum, F – Tobias Harris, C – Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: Jalen Smith – questionable (lower back spasms), Tyrese Haliburton – out (left hamstring strain injury management)
76ers: Marcus Morris Sr. – probable (left foot plantar fasciitis), Jaden Springer – probable (right ankle tendinitis), Tobias Harris – questionable (illness), Mo Bamba – out (right knee inflammation), Robert Covington – out (left knee bone bruise), Kenneth Lofton Jr. – out (personal reasons), De’Anthony Melton – out (lumbar spine stress response)
Last Meeting
Nov. 14, 2023 – The Pacers avenged their loss from two-days prior with a 132-126 win over the Sixers on Nov. 14 to improve their In-Season Tournament record to 2-0 and move to first place in East Group A. The Pacers victory also snapped the eight-game win streak of the then Eastern Conference leading Sixers.
Along with knocking down the game-sealing 3-pointer, Tyrese Haliburton recorded 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor to go along with 15 assists. He netted seven 3-pointers on 12 attempts, with six 3-pointers being scored in the first half.
Myles Turner struggled with foul trouble through the first three quarters of play, tallying only two points in his 7:45 of playing time, but bounced back in the fourth quarter to contribute 15 points in the final frame. Obi Toppin also recorded a season-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting.
Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris contributed all but eight of Philadelphia’s 126 points. Embiid notched 39 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals, while Melton added 30 points. Maxey added 27 points and five assists and Harris contributed 22 points.
Noteworthy
Thursday’s matchup will conclude the two-game regular season series with the Sixers. Though Philadelphia took the first game on Nov. 12, 137-126, but Indiana rallied back two days later to defeat the Sixers, 132-126, in the group play phase of the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Indiana is 48-50 all-time when playing Philadelphia at home and has not defeated the Sixers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since Nov. 13, 2021.
Buddy Hield (1,829) needs two 3-pointers to surpass Chauncey Billups (1,830) and take 22nd place for most 3-point field goals in NBA history.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton will sit out for the third game in a row as he manages a left hamstring strain. He will also miss Friday’s game against Phoenix and will be reevaluated on Saturday.
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 (sideline reporter/host)
Originally posted on pacers.com