Sixers revert to snakebitten ways, fall 121-107 to Indiana Pacers as multiple players suffer injuries
Tyrese Maxey was the only player to score more than 20 points as the Sixers spent time without Joel Embiid and Jared McCain, who both went down after blows to the head.
A lot had changed since the 76ers faced the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 27 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — or so we thought.
As we found out in Friday night’s 121-107 loss at the Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers are still snakebitten and prone to injury, especially to Joel Embiid.
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Embiid left the game with 6.5 seconds before intermission and didn’t return after being struck in the face. The seven-time All-Star suffered a sinus fracture. He will be further evaluated this weekend. Meanwhile, rookie guard Jared McCain left the game with 5 minutes, 24 seconds left in the third quarter after hitting the back of his head on the court. McCain was checked in the locker room but returned with 2:04 left in the quarter.
This matchup was supposed to be different with a healthier Sixers team on the court. Back in October when these teams faced off, the Sixers were trying to create an identity without Embiid and Paul George, who sat out the game with injuries. McCain had yet to blossom into the NBA rookie of the year front-runner. And Eric Gordon was viewed as the team’s sixth man. Yet, thanks to Tyrese Maxey’s second-half explosion, the Sixers recorded their first win of the year.
This time, Embiid and George were among the main attractions. Guerschon Yabusele had established himself as the starting power forward. And like in the previous matchup, Maxey had a starring role for a Sixers team that had won four of five games.
The All-Star point guard finished with a team-high 22 points, three rebounds, and two assists. George had 15 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double. Yabusele missed all three of his shots while finishing with four points. McCain added five on 2-for-6 shooting.
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The Sixers played with a lot of grit and pulled within seven points three times in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 18 points. Indiana, however, responded with a 12-0 run to build a 117-98 cushion.
The Sixers were doomed by an inability to stop Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton (32 points on 7-for-15 three-point shooting, 11 assists), Pascal Siakam (23 points on 9-for-11 shooting, eight rebounds), and reserve Obi Toppin (20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, eight rebounds).
The loss dropped the Sixers to 7-16 and snapped their two-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Pacers improved to 11-15.
But the biggest story line was Embiid’s inability to remain healthy. He was struck in the face while trying to make a defensive play with 12 seconds left in the half. Embiid fell to court and remained there until the Sixers called a timeout.
This was his second game back after missing seven straight with left knee swelling and personal reasons. The 2023 NBA MVP has missed 17 games this season because of left knee management, knee swelling, personal reasons, and serving a three-game suspension.
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Up Next
The Sixers will travel to Charlotte Saturday to face the Hornets at 7 p.m. Monday at the Spectrum Center. This will be the third of four meetings between the teams. The Sixers will also entertain Charlotte at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20 at The Center. Philly has a 2-0 series advantage.