The Boston Celtics and 76ers matchup will still be for first place. However, the Sixers won’t enter the contest with the momentum they’ve had over the previous few weeks.
Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 132-126 to end the Sixers’ eight-game winning streak.
It also represented two firsts for the Sixers in the overall loss column. This was not only their first home loss of the year, but also their first defeat in the NBA In-Season Tournament. The Sixers consequently lost to 8-2 and 1-1 in the tournament’s East Group A pool.
Nic Batum, who missed the game due to personal reasons, was not with the Sixers. They were also without Kelly Oubre Jr., who was sidelined for the second straight game after being hit and run on Saturday night, breaking his ribs.
As a result, Robert Covington began playing small forward, severely hurting the Sixers’ depth. Bench points were scored 33-6 in favor of them.
Tyrese Maxey’s failure to match his 50-point performance from Sunday against the Pacers (7-4, 1-1) did not assist either. In the fourth quarter, the Sixers point guard did establish some rhythm, scoring 15 of his 27 points. Maxey finished the game with a 9 for 23 shooting percentage, four rebounds, six assists, and four turnovers.
With a sore hip, Joel Embiid was deemed questionable, but he ended with 39 points and made all 17 of his foul shots. In addition, the reigning MVP finished with 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. With a season-high 8 of 13 shooting, De’Anthony Melton scored 30 points, making 4 of his 6 3-pointers and all 10 of his foul shots. Tobias Harris also contributed with seven rebounds and 22 points.
Leading the Pacers with 33 points, 15 assists, and just one turnover was Tyrese Haliburton.
However, the Sixers don’t have much time to pout. They will play the 8-2 Celtics on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m., ESPN) in a nationally televised game.
Undermanned Sixers
The Sixers turned to Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House, and Marcus Morris as their starting wing players in lieu of Batum, Oubre, and Covington.
The Sixers used a lineup that included House, Morris, Embiid, Korkmaz, and Patrick Beverly to finish the quarter.
The Sixers began to substitute players, and the Pacers went on a 13–4 run. Although the Sixers reserves put forth a strong effort, the team’s depth and caliber of players were lacking.
Oubre will be reassessed in a week, but it’s possible that he won’t be out for a long while. Broken ribs usually heal in six weeks.
“Yes, he visited the practice facility today,” the nurse reported. He spent a short while using the exercise bike. He is thus doing fine.
Maxey’s footwear
Maxey looked chic on Tuesday evening.
The point guard celebrated the birthdays of his twin nieces, Kai and Kali, by donning a unique pair of New Balance sneakers. The twins’ preferred hues are purple and pink.