Sixers find offensive rhythm behind Brown, Walker in win over Pacers

The Philadelphia 76ers took the first half of a home-and-away back-to-back after outlasting the Indiana Pacers 131-124 in a Sunday matinee. Jaylen Brown led the Sixers with a season-high 31 points, Tyrese Maxey added 27 of his own, LeBron James made history and Jabari Walker provided a serious spark to the Sixers’ offense.

Here's what I saw:

Jabari Walker provides offensive spark as Jaylen Brown stars

Despite their early-season success, the Sixers have clear and consistent issues, especially in their half-court offense.

Outside of relying on isolation and the frequently reliable two-man action between Maxey and Embiid, there hasn't been a consistently effective way for this offense to score. The ball isn't moving, the team hasn't generated quality open looks, and its efficiency has suffered for it. But Sunday, the Sixers flashed legitimate offensive production even without Embiid on the court, something they couldn't do last season.

The Sixers made a notable change ahead of this matchup, starting Jabari Walker in place of the absent Embiid. The results of Walker's minutes at center have been a mixed bag this season, as his rebounding, mobility and floor spacing add plenty offensively, but his lack of size creates a major issue protecting the rim.

Indiana scored 16 points in the paint in the first quarter, getting to the rim with ease, but Walker's individual play and the Sixers' offense were largely positive regardless. By the second quarter, Philadelphia looked comfortable on both ends.

The Sixers were quicker, better spaced and looked and played like a contender for one of the few times this season. It wasn't a dominant performance, especially defensively, but without a reliable rim protector, the Sixers made the correct adjustments, accepting their interior defensive limitations instead of overhelping and giving the Pacers open looks after sagging off their assignments on the perimeter.

Jaylen Brown took on the bulk of the offensive responsibility, scoring 31 points. His five turnovers were less than ideal, despite the fact that one was arguably incorrectly assessed, but the team needed his contributions, especially as he repeatedly went to his mid-post fadeaway jumper, which has looked automatic at times as the season has progressed.

Tyrese Maxey added an efficient 27 points, including five made threes, along with six assists. Maxey's off-ball utilization and spacing in transition opened up an abundance of clean looks from deep, something the Sixers have largely struggled to generate outside of empty-side DHOs.

LeBron James made a crucial third-quarter push, scoring eight straight points for the Sixers as part of his 15 total. It was a relatively quiet scoring night for LeBron, but a highly effective day as a passer, as he racked up 11 assists, passing Jason Kidd for the third-most assists in NBA history.

The Sixers struggled to hold their lead as Pascal Siakam attacked the paint on nearly every possession, scoring 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.

Despite a poor defensive effort late, the Sixers continued to take care of business offensively to maintain their lead through the end of the game.

Final thoughts

• The Sixers' willingness to sacrifice the paint to shut down the perimeter defensively was a meaningful adjustment on that end. It won't be the solution every night, but without Joel Embiid and against a bottom-10 three-point shooting team, it was the right decision.
• Nick Nurse may have found the sweet spot for playing Jabari Walker at center. His on/off stats are significantly better alongside LeBron James — as if that's not the case for most players, and his play style complements the other four starters far better than any option outside of Embiid. Walker scored 11 points, including three made shots from range and seven rebounds. He's continuing to earn a little more rope with each performance, it seems and while he may not be the long-term solution, having a temporary answer could save Philadelphia from a handful of frustrating losses.
• Dean Wade struggled defensively at times but made up for it with some quality offensive play, making the most of the opportunities that came his way in what was otherwise a signature performance as a connective player.
• Tacko Fall enjoyed his first meaningful minutes as a Sixer and made an immediate impact with a quick offensive rebound that led to a chance at the line for LeBron, followed by a screen assist off a brush screen that opened up a drive for James. It wasn't perfect, but it was an encouraging run for the two-way player.

Up next for the Sixers

The Sixers (11-3) will complete their back-to-back Monday night when they travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets at 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia will look to build on Sunday's offensive performance as it seeks its third straight win.

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