76ers vs. Pacers: 3 Things That Stood Out on Wednesday
The Philadelphia 76ers returned to the floor in South Philly on Wednesday night. Coming off of an impressive win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Sixers hosted the Indiana Pacers for the second time this season on Wednesday.
Earlier in the year, both teams were struggling, as neither squad had a win in late October. The Sixers built up their confidence at the time with a dominant win over the Pacers, helping them improve to 1-3 on the year.
This time around, both teams were in a much better position. The Sixers ranked fourth in the East with a 22-14 record. The Pacers were behind them in fifth place, with 21 wins and 17 losses. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game, it seemed the Sixers were en route to a comfortable victory.
But the Pacers made it interesting. Coming back and garnering their own lead late in the fourth, the Pacers nearly completed a comeback. However, the Sixers forced overtime. With an extra five minutes on the clock, the Sixers put the Pacers away 129-126. With that victory, the Sixers picked up their 23rd win of the season, moving to 2-0 over Indiana.
Here’s what stood out in the matchup:
Production Galore
When Joel Embiid’s in the game for the 76ers, the big man is typically good for at least 30 points. Oftentimes, Embiid’s had to put up 40 and even 50 points to help the Sixers to a victory.
With the star center out with a sore foot, the primary scorer became the ten-time All-Star James Harden. While the star guard led the charge with his 26 points in 42 minutes, production came from all around roster.
Four of five starters notched at least 17 points. Off the bench, three of four players put up over ten points. Overall, the Sixers drained 49 percent of their shots. As Doc Rivers put it after the game, guys were starring in their roles, and everybody that played on Wednesday night had a part in the win.
The Biggest Spark Off the Bench
Doc Rivers opted to roll with a small-ball starting five, shifting PJ Tucker to center and allowing Tyrese Maxey to rejoin the starting lineup. When it was time to take Tucker out, the current backup center Montrezl Harrell resumed his role off the bench, with a minutes increase.
Harrell’s always one to bring energy on the floor, but he was a much-needed spark for the 76ers. In 28 minutes of action, the veteran big man converted on eight of his nine field goal attempts. He also went three for four from the free throw line, putting up 19 points off the bench.
Without the spark that Harrell offered with his increased workload in the absence of the team’s star big man, the Sixers have a much tougher time coming out of Wednesday’s game with a win.
Tyrese Maxey’s Minutes
It was hard to predict how many minutes Maxey would play on Wednesday night. As Doc Rivers hinted that Maxey’s 20-minute cap was lifted recently, he added that the young guard was likely to play more after he checked in for 26 minutes off the bench on Monday night.
The head coach trotted the young guard out onto the court for 36 minutes on Wednesday. Maxey wasn’t totally in rhythm, missing some shots he would’ve probably made in the past, but he looked a lot better than he did over the last two games.
Putting up 16 shots from the field, Maxey drained six of his attempts. He went 1-4 from deep and managed to knock down all four of his free throws. Overall, Maxey finished the night with 17 points. He also produced six assists and collected five rebounds and a steal.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
