The Sixers are in Indianapolis on Thursday night to take on the Pacers, looking to extend their winning streak to seven games. The Pacers, having lost their last three, will be looking to end that losing streak and try to jump ahead of the Miami Heat into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (29-13) at Indiana Pacers (24-20)
When: 7:00 pm EST
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IND.
Watch: NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Indiana
Spread: Philadelphia 76ers -5.5 | Indiana Pacers +5.5
Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers -192 | Indiana Pacers +160
Total: Over/Under 239
How many points will Joel Embiid get tonight? That’s the only thing that people are really wondering at the start of each game. On Monday, even though the Sixers were playing the Spurs, people were wondering what Embiid would do against Victor Wembanyama. He didn’t disappoint as he set a Sixers single-game record for points scored with 70, while adding 18 rebounds and 5 assists in 37 minutes on the floor.
Embiid is easily the most dominant offensive player in the league right now and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, he seems to be getting better. His scoring has increased throughout the season, his rebounds have been going up of late and he’s one of the most efficient players in the league. After last season’s MVP year, no one could have predicted that he’d improve on all of his stats but that’s exactly what he’s done.
The Sixers should have Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris Sr. both back in the lineup tonight after they missed the Spurs game. Harris and his 17.7 points per game will be a welcome addition back to the lineup and should help open the floor up a little more for guard Tyrese Maxey who’s been up and down with his shooting of late.
The Sixers will still be missing guard DeAnthony Melton as well as Robert Covington and Mo Bamba, so the fans should get a little more of Pat Beverley and Daniel House Jr., which has been a good thing of late.
The Pacers have been bad of late, having lost four of their last five games and while they’ve played some good teams, you just don’t know what you’re going to get from them each night. What is for sure is that they’ll be missing guard Tyrese Haliburton who will remain out after injuring his hamstring on January 8th.
Haliburton is leading the Pacers in scoring at 23.6 points per game and leading the league with 12.6 assists. He’s improved each season of his five-year career and this season has been his best yet, putting the young player in the mentions of top guards in the league. He’s a 40% shooter from beyond the three-point line, he’s scoring at the highest of his career, and he’s developed into a leader on the team.
Without Haliburton, the Pacers will be relying on Myles Turner and newly acquired, Pascal Siakam to lead the way. Turner, at 6’11” and 250 lbs., has the size to give the Sixers front court some issues and Siakam is a proven player that steps up against good teams.
The Sixers have been playing well and are on a six-game winning streak. They seem to be getting better as the season goes on and if they can stay healthy, will look to go further in the playoffs than they have in previous years. Joel Embiid is the key to this group and without him, the Sixers could very well be a lottery team sporting a 3-7 record without the reigning MVP, this season.
After scoring 70 points on Monday, Embiid has had some time to rest and that may not be a good thing for a team like the Pacers or really anyone for that matter. With upcoming games against the Nuggets, Warriors, Jazz, and Mavericks over the next few weeks, the Sixers have been using their games against weaker opponents in order to get themselves playing their best basketball.
With the assumed return of Harris to the starting lineup and what that does for Tyrese Maxey as well as Nico Batum and Kelly Oubre Jr., the Sixers look to be healthy for tonight’s game and ready to make statements against playoff-caliber competition as the season heads towards the playoffs. While you can’t expect 70 points from Embiid again a 40+ point night for himself and 30+ from Tyrese Maxey isn’t really out of the question.
Sixers 133 – Pacers 118
AP Photo/Matt Slocum
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