The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 114-109 on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, improving to 4-1 behind 27 points from Tyrese Maxey. Joel Embiid added 21 points and 11 rebounds as Philadelphia survived a 13-point third quarter to hold off Indiana, which fell to 2-3.
Philadelphia built its cushion with a 37-point second quarter that turned a 25-25 tie into a nine-point lead at halftime. The Pacers answered with a 36-13 third quarter of their own, pulling within two possessions behind Pascal Siakam, who finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia then outscored Indiana 39-21 in the fourth to close it out.
Takeaways From 76ers’ Win Over Pacers
Philadelphia’s bench shooting carried the second quarter
Philadelphia’s 37-point second quarter turned the 25-25 first-quarter tie into a 62-52 halftime lead behind efficient three-point shooting. The 76ers made 13 of 36 three-pointers for 36% on the game, well above Indiana’s 9-for-36 mark at 25%.
Indiana’s third-quarter push fell just short
The Pacers erupted for a 36-13 third quarter that cut Philadelphia’s lead to 75-88 entering the fourth. Andrew Nembhard set up teammates throughout, finishing with 14 assists, but Indiana could not sustain the push when the 76ers outscored the Pacers 39-21 in the final quarter.
Turnovers and paint touches swung in Philadelphia’s favor late
Indiana dominated the paint 48-36 and fast-break scoring 16-7, but Philadelphia’s 88% free-throw shooting (21-for-24) versus Indiana’s 80% (28-for-35) proved decisive. Philadelphia forced 15 Pacers turnovers for 18 points; Indiana scored 26 off the 76ers’ 16 giveaways. The free-throw margin secured the five-point win.
Player Of The Game: Tyrese Maxey
Maxey led all scorers with 27 points on 8-for-18 shooting, including 3-for-7 from three-point range, adding five rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. He finished plus-6, the best mark among Philadelphia’s starters, and his 8-for-9 night at the free-throw line helped the 76ers hold their late lead. Embiid added 21 points and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes, while Jaylen Brown scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting. LeBron James recorded a team-high 10 assists to go with 13 points and five rebounds.
76ers Vs Pacers By The Numbers
Philadelphia shot 46% from the field (40-for-87) compared to Indiana’s 41% (36-for-87), a five-point edge that showed up most in the second quarter. The 76ers made 21 of 24 free throws for 88%, well ahead of Indiana’s 28-for-35 mark at 80%. Indiana out-rebounded Philadelphia 47-45 and out-assisted the 76ers 30-23, reflecting Indiana’s ball movement, particularly from Nembhard. Indiana also produced 16 fast-break points to Philadelphia’s seven and won the paint battle 48-36, numbers that show where the Pacers made their push even in a loss.
What’s Next
The 76ers lead the season series 1-0 and sit atop the Atlantic at 4-1, a half-game ahead of Toronto and Boston, both 3-1. Indiana dropped to 2-3 in third place in the Central, two games behind Detroit.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
