The Philadelphia 76ers (15-24) traveled to Indiana to face the Pacers (23-19). Indiana continues to fight for a top-four seed in the conference, sitting just behind the Milwaukee Bucks in the fifth seed. The Pacers have been one of the NBA’s top teams recently, winning 13 of their 17 before counting tonight.
The Sixers entered this game on a four-game losing streak. Philadelphia is dealing with a ton of injuries coming into this game, with Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Guerschon Yabusele, K.J. Martin, and superstars Paul George and Joel Embiid missing this game. This was the seventh straight game for Philadelphia without star center Joel Embiid, who is dealing with knee swelling and will be re-evaluated in about 7-10 days.
The Sixers starting five consisted of Andre Drummond, making his return from injury, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Council IV, making his second career start, and star guard Tyrese Maxey. With so many injuries, the Sixers lineup was surely not as expected heading into the season.
First Quarter
The Sixers opened the first quarter firing as Kelly Oubre Jr. began the game with a three-pointer on the right wing. From there, the Sixers ran out to an early 8-1 lead to start the game. After an 8-0 run by the Pacers spanning two and a half minutes, the score was 12-11, and it was around halfway through the first. Rookies Justin Edwards and Adem Bona both made appearances for the Sixers in the first quarter.
Edwards, who has made waves as an undrafted rookie in the past two games, was the first off-the-bench player in the game for Philadelphia. At the end of the first, the Pacers led the Sixers by five points, 28-23. The Sixers were able to keep it close against the Pacers through the first quarter, thanks in large part to contributions from Jeff Dowtin, Adem Bona, and Maxey.
Second Quarter
The second quarter started with a Pacers Thomas Bryant three above the key. From there, the Sixers and Pacers continued to fight, with Kelly Oubre Jr. reaching ten points quickly into the second quarter, being the first player to double digits on the night. After struggling in the first and giving up multiple offensive rebounds, Nick Nurse decided to play Bona and Andre Drummond together alongside Oubre Jr., Edwards, and Maxey. While the extra size helped with the rebounding issues, the Pacers offense was simply too fast for the Sixers on the court.
Bona, however, did make quite an impact early in the game, going 5/5 for 11 points, as well as securing 6 rebounds in only 12 minutes. His high-energy play on the glass, aggressive dunks, as well as his defensive prowess, helped the Sixers stay in the game despite Indiana’s excellent all-around attack. At the end of the second quarter, the Pacers led the Sixers 61-59.
Third Quarter
The Sixers opened the third quarter with Oubre, Drummond, Council, Gordon, and Maxey. Maxey opened the half with a layup, and thanks to a Council pull-up three-pointer, the Sixers took the lead. The Pacers responded quickly, hitting a couple of shots to retake the lead. Throughout the quarter, the Sixers and Pacers remained locked in.
Indiana maintained their lead but Philadelphia, to their credit, simply would not go away. Every time it felt like the Pacers might start breaking away, Oubre, Maxey, and the Sixers would pull them back. Over the last three minutes, after multiple Sixers turnovers and empty possessions, the Pacers led the Sixers 89-80.
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter started with a Kelly Oubre layup. After the Pacers started pulling away at the end of the third quarter, the concern was that the Sixers may simply be out of gas. With 7 players inactive tonight, the shorthanded Sixers let the Pacers get their biggest lead of the night at 101-85 with 8:25 left to go in regulation.
That just wasn’t the case, though, as the Sixers went on a 13-3 run to cut the Pacers lead to 104-98. While Philadelphia was not able to fully stage the comeback many were hoping for, the Sixers cut the lead to 108-100 and were able to keep the Pacers from scoring for a considerable amount of time. However, the Sixers’s inability to hit shots during this stretch ultimately led to the Pacers winning the game 115-102.
Bright Spots in the Loss
Adem Bona
Adem Bona may deserve a look at the true backup center spot once Joel Embiid returns, given his performance in the first half. Bona started the game a perfect 5/5 from the field, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in the first half, playing only 12 minutes. The former UCLA center slowed down in the second half due to only playing seven minutes.
While it’s unclear why Bona barely touched the court in the second half, he still was a bright spot for the Sixers. and scored his career-high, and it is possible that head coach Nick Nurse and the Sixers were concerned about Bona’s knee after Myles Turner fell on him in the first quarter. The big man did return for the final minute of the game, going one of two from the free throw line.
Ricky Council IV
While Ricky Council IV didn’t have an offensive explosion in his second career start, the former undrafted free agent was all over the court. Council fought for every loose ball and ended up securing 9 rebounds and scoring 18 points on 6/18 shooting.
Council surely wishes he could have shot the ball better, but he has shown off his ability to both the coaches and the fans as a high-energy defender and rebounder from the wing. When Council starts finding his shot, he will find himself a key contributor to the Sixers moving forward.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was in a slump over his last five games, shooting only 20.0% from three and averaging 14.4 points a night. That changed for the against the Pacers as Oubre finished the game with 18 points on 3/6 shooting from beyond the arc. He was one of the key members of the Sixers who sparked the fourth-quarter comeback.
While it would have been nice for the Sixers to come out of this with a win, Oubre refining his shot and playing consistently on both sides of the ball bodes well for the Sixers’s future this season as Oubre is one of the most important pieces of the 76ers rotation.
Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey once again had a great game, scoring 28 points on 10/23 shooting. Maxey led all scorers in the game. Maxey continues to prove that he is one of the best guards in the NBA with his play, and in a world where Maxey isn’t so clearly the main option due to injuries, he may have been able to lead this team to a win.
Once the Sixers start to get players back from injury, Maxey’s shooting efficiency should improve, making him that much more dangerous. The young point guard lovingly nicknamed The Franchise is living up to that name, as he is now averaging 29.8 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds a night over his last five games.
Looking ahead for the Sixers
The Sixers were not able to come away with a win tonight despite a gritty comeback attempt in the fourth. With tons of injuries across the roster and their next three games coming against the Bucks, the Denver Nuggets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sixers showed that they won’t roll over when faced with adversity. While it may be frustrating to add another game in the loss column for this Sixers team, Philadelphia showed what kind of team they want to be. The young guys were able to contribute in meaningful ways today.
The Sixers fall to 15-25 on the season and extend their losing streak to 5 straight. They play the second of their three-game road trip tomorrow, Jan. 19, against the Milwaukee Bucks. There, they will meet up with former head coach Doc Rivers and his 23-17 Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard lead the Bucks and are currently the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference.
