Three reasons the Sixers beat the Indiana Pacers
Led by Shake Milton's 26 points, the Sixers reserves scored 67.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/CQTZUSBWGNGCHCQGCJO3OV3MFQ.JPG)
The 76ers had one of their more dominant performances of the season in Monday’s 130-114 home win against the Indiana Pacers. It was a game that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate.
Here are three reasons the Sixers beat Indiana.
The bench
Just going by bench totals can be misleading because no Sixers starter played in the fourth quarter with the game already in hand. For what it’s worth, the Sixers bench outscored the Pacers reserves, 67-47.
What made it more impressive is that one of the Sixers usual reserves, Mike Scott, had to start in place of Tobias Harris, who missed his second straight game because of a right knee bruise.
The two main sparks were Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz, who scored 26 and 19 points, respectively. They combined for 28 points when the Sixers jumped to a 72-55 halftime lead.
Milton shot 9-for-14, including 3-for-5 from three-point range. The Sixers are 7-0 when he shoots 50% or better from beyond the arc.
» READ MORE: Joel Embiid on the Sixers’ transition defense: ‘We’ve been terrible all season’
Embiid reads the double team
Like every other team, Indiana frequently double-teamed Joel Embiid when he got the ball. Embiid read the double-team well.
This play is a classic example. Before Indiana’s T.J. McConnell (9) is about to double-team Embiid, the Sixers center already unleashed a cross-court pass to Korkmaz, who hit the three.
Embiid had 24 points and 13 rebounds in less than 27 minutes, but just as impressive, he had five assists and two turnovers.
Mike Scott’s energy and production
Scott was a force on both ends of the court. He not only scored 11 points by making all four of his shots, including three three-pointers, but Scott also had a career-high four steals.
It was hustle plays such as this that really gave the Sixers a lift.
Scott has missed 17 games. He had been on a minutes restriction after missing 13 consecutive games with right knee soreness from Jan. 16 to Feb. 11, but this was the first game there was no restriction. Scott played 24 minutes, 34 seconds, his second-highest total this season.