PHILADELPHIA, PA — Looking for their first true winning streak of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the Indiana Pacers Friday night. After a five-day break between breaks due to the knockout round of the NBA Cup, the Sixers were rested and mostly healthy, and then the game began.
The Sixers struggled after an early 9-2 run, as the rust began to show against Indiana’s quick pace. Philadelphia was thoroughly outmatched in the first quarter, and Indiana took a 31-22 lead into the second.
An improved performance from the Sixers in quarter two gave some hope, but in the final seconds, the game would go from bad to horrendous. Following a missed shot by Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana wing Bennedict Mathurin flew into the lane, looking to correct the rebound for the putback. In doing so, an errant arm struck Joel Embiid in the face, causing the Sixers’ center to fall to the ground holding his head.
Embiid would exit the game and would not return. His status at this time is not known.
Come the third quarter, the Pacers would continue to put distance between themselves and the Sixers, while Philadelphia would continue to suffer on-court scares.
Rookie guard Jared McCain rose up for a shot on the drive only to be knocked onto his back, reminiscent of the team’s preseason game against Brooklyn in which McCain was also knocked down onto his back, suffering a pulmonary contusion. The concern initially was that McCain hit his head as well. Thankfully, that was not the case against the Nets. Against Indiana, McCain was not so lucky.
Clearly hitting his head, hard, McCain slowly got to his feet. Once there, he attempted to reach the free-throw line after the foul call but was clearly wobbling. Attempting to push through, he was stopped by his teammates as head coach Nick Nurse went over the plan with the officiating crew.
McCain would sub out of the game and immediately head to the locker room. He would return roughly three minutes later and was seen dancing on the court during a timeout, much more like his typical jovial self. The Sixers would shortly thereafter announce that McCain had undergone concussion protocol and passed, leading to his return to the court.
The Sixers would go on a 12-5 run after McCain returned to the court and into the fourth, giving the Philadelphia phaithful hope that this game could be turned around. Unfortunately, an offensive barrage by the Pacers and the continued inability to consistently score led to a win for Indiana by a final score of 119-104.
