Monday, March 6 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Preview
Fresh off a winning road trip, the Pacers (29-36) return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday night to take on Joel Embiid and the 76ers (41-22) on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Blue & Gold went a full two months without a road win, dropping 11 consecutive games away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but they ended that drought over the past week. Indiana went 3-1 on the road over the past week, securing a winning road trip on style on Sunday afternoon in Chicago, where Tyrese Haliburton's 30-foot 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining lifted the Pacers to a 125-122 win over their Central Division rivals.
The Pacers won all three games that Haliburton played in on the trip (he sat out Thursday's loss in San Antonio due to a sore calf). The All-Star point guard averaged 25.3 points and 10.3 assists across those three wins, shooting 25-for-44 (56.8 percent) from the field and 10-for-19 (52.6 percent) from 3-point range.
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The Sixers are coming off a massive win on Saturday night. Philadelphia erased an 18-point deficit to knock off the East-leading Bucks, 133-130, snapping Milwaukee's 16-game win streak.
Both of the Sixers' All-Stars came up big in the victory. James Harden dropped 38 points, going 11-for-26 from the field, 5-for-9 from 3-point range, and 11-for-11 from the free throw line, and narrowly missed out on a triple-double, finishing with 10 assists and nine rebounds. Embiid added 31 points and also dished out 10 assists.
Embiid is one of the leading candidates for MVP honors this season. He ranks second in the NBA in scoring at 33 points per game, eighth in rebounding (10.3 per contest), and sixth in blocks (1.6 per game).
Harden, meanwhile, is averaging 22.1 points per game and leads in the NBA in assists, dishing out 10.6 per contest.
It's no surprise that an offense featuring two players of that caliber is one of the league's best. Philadelphia averages 116.1 points per 100 possessions, the seventh-best offensive rating in the league, and is third in 3-point percentage (.381). The Sixers also get to the line over 25 times per game and convert 83.2 percent of their foul shots, the best free throw percentage in the NBA.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Buddy Hield, F - Aaron Nesmith, C - Myles Turner
76ers: G - James Harden, G - Tyrese Maxey, F - Tobias Harris, F - P.J. Tucker, C - Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (sore right calf), Aaron Nesmith - questionable (sore left hip), Myles Turner - questionable (sore lower back), Kendall Brown - out (right tibia stress fracture)
76ers: Tobias Harris - questionable (left calf contusion), P.J. Tucker - questionable (back spasms), Jaden Springer - out (G League assignment)
Last Meeting
Jan. 4, 2023: The Pacers erased a 12-point deficit and led 120-116 with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. But the Sixers scored four points over the final 37 seconds to force overtime and ultimately prevailed in the extra session, 129-126, in Philadelphia.
"We never should've been in overtime, we know that," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "There were a couple of errors that we made that we will learn from. It's a tough loss, but I'm really proud of the effort and the way guys hung in because it was not going particularly well, particularly defensively. Everyone just kept playing, giving ourselves a chance."
Buddy Hield led seven Pacers in double figures in the loss, tallying a team-high 24 points on 6-of-14 3-point shooting to go along with nine rebounds and six assists. Bennedict Mathurin added 19 off the bench, while fellow reserve Jalen Smith scored 16.
Tyrese Haliburton had a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists and Myles Turner finished with 14 points, eight boards, and five blocks.
James Harden had a game-high 26 points and eight assists for the Sixers, who were without All-Star center Joel Embiid due to a sore left foot. Tobias Harris added 19 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, while De'Anthony Melton and Montrezl Harrell each scored 19 as well.
Noteworthy
- Indiana is 7-5 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Pacers have just one back-to-back remaining after Monday -- consecutive road games in Boston and Atlanta on March 24 and 25.
- The Pacers have lost four straight and six of their last eight against Philadelphia.
- Two of Indiana's next three home games are against the Sixers, who will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, March 18.
- Pacers center Myles Turner moved past Rik Smits (1,111 career blocks) into second place on the franchise's all-time blocks list with three blocks on Sunday. Turner now has 1,113 blocks for his career. Jermaine O'Neal is the franchise's all-time leader with 1,245.
- Haliburton now has 31 games this season with 10 or more assists, tied for the most in a single season in franchise history. Don Buse set the mark originally in 1976-77 and Mark Jackson matched it in 1997-98.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
After a four-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, March 6 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>