The Philadelphia 76ers are home again to take on the visiting Indiana Pacers as they hope to get back in the win column after a rough few outings against the Raptors and Cavaliers. The Pacers are sitting alone at the bottom of the Eastern Conference but are 3-2 over their last five games. The Sixers desperately need a convincing win tonight, as their previous two losses to Cleveland have been tough.
Who: Indiana Pacers (10-33) at Philadelphia 76ers (22-18)
When: 7:00 p.m. EST
Where: XFinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana
For a Sixers team that seemed to be moving forward with players like Joel Embiid and Paul George returning to health, the ascention of Tyrese Maxey, and rookie VJ Edgecombe, the team took a nosedive over the past week. They split a series with the Raptors, then were blown out by the Cavaliers before losing to the Cavs on Friday night.
With two games in two nights, Joel Embiid and Paul George have been downgraded to questionable with the Suns game on the horizon for tomorrow night. The Pacers aren't very intimidating, but that doesn't mean that the Sixers can relax and think they can walk through this game.
Defense and shooting have been the issues of late, with the team allowing the Cavaliers to hit 43.5% on their three-point attempts last week, then, in the return game, allowing them to shoot 50% to help seal their win. The Sixers continue to get into long-distance shootouts with teams, as the NBA has an issue across the league, but they're not improving their own.
Defensive miscues, poor shooting, even worse interior defense, dustups on the bench, and turnovers are all holding this Sixers team back from taking a step toward the top of the conference. If they can start to pull it together, they'll be a formidable foe for anyone, but if they continue down this path, it'll be a disappointing season that was starting to show some promise.
The Pacers made the NBA Finals last season and lost Game 7 to the Thunder, with their star, Tyrese Haliburton, tearing his Achilles and expected to miss this entire season. Obi Toppin was in the lineup for just three games before a partial stress fracture in his right foot shut him down until at least February. The Pacers, much like the Sixers, haven't had much go their way of late.
When Pascal Siakam is leading the team, you should be aware that there's a problem. In addition, there doesn't seem to be much fear throughout the league when you're facing Bennedict Mathurin (out for the game with a thumb injury), Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Jay Huff, but that's the team that the Pacers have been running out there.
This season is pretty much a lost one for the Pacers, but they've beaten the Pelicans, Celtics, and Heat over the past two weeks, and if they get going early, they can score points, especially since the Sixers have been making it easy for opponents of late. While they're not feared, they can be dangerous, and they surely can get out ahead of teams like the Sixers.
With Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe having a heated conversation against the Cavaliers on the bench on Friday, the team needed a few days off to get itself together. There shouldn't be a fear of the Pacers, but the team must get itself together with the Suns, Rockets, and Knicks on the horizon.
As the new leader of the Sixers, one thing Tyrese Maxey must work on is communication, especially given the level of talent Edgecombe has brought to the team. He works hard at both ends of the floor, is one of the top rookies in the league, and is still learning the professional game. If Maxey is going to lead, losing his temper and admonishing the star rookie in front of everyone isn't the best look. But losing, as they've been, can sometimes bring out the worst in players.
Look for VJ and Maxey to be back to normal against an outmanned Pacers team, which should help the Sixers regain some confidence and a win. There will always be growing pains, and with this roster, they'll get them quickly as they try to mesh before the playoffs. This current Sixers team can be both frustrating and exciting, so tonight, expect the exciting.
Sixers 118 - Pacers 107
