The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Indiana Pacers 147-143 in Indianapolis on Monday, with Joel Embiid scoring 42 points and leading six players in double figures. Tyrese Maxey made six 3-pointers and scored 24 points, while James Harden narrowly missed a triple-double with 14 points, 20 assists, and nine rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton had a season-high 40 points and 16 assists for the Pacers, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. Jordan Nwora added 16 points, Buddy Hield scored 15, and Jalen Smith contributed 14 points.
The Sixers needed a strong offensive effort to secure their fifth straight victory against the Pacers, following their recent win against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game featured 24 ties and 32 lead changes, and neither team led by more than six points until Philadelphia’s Shake Milton hit a three-pointer to put the Sixers ahead 128-118 with 7:49 remaining.
Indiana rallied and reduced the deficit to five points with three minutes left before De’Anthony Melton scored a crucial 3-pointer. Despite Haliburton’s last-minute trey to pull the Pacers within four, Philadelphia was able to seal the victory from the foul line.
In the first quarter, both teams laid the foundation for a high-scoring game, with Maxey scoring 14 points for the Sixers. The second quarter ended with Haliburton drilling a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, with Indiana leading 79-78 at halftime after both teams shot over 61 percent. The teams were tied after the third quarter, with Embiid scoring 14 points to lead Philadelphia.
The Sixers played without Tobias Harris (left calf soreness) and P.J. Tucker (back spasms), both of whom are listed as day-to-day. Embiid was a perfect 19-for-19 from the foul line for Philadelphia, which shot 58.5 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from 3-point range.
Indiana shot 58.9 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from beyond the arc, but still lost. The Pacers shot 71 percent from the foul line, while the Sixers went 35-of-38 (92.1 percent).
