Matchup
After pulling out a win on Monday night in Cleveland, the Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for their final homestand of the season, which tips off Tuesday when Indiana (32-36) hosts East-leading Philadelphia (47-21) on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Pacers' magic number to secure a berth in the NBA's new Play-In Tournament is down to two following a 111-102 victory over the Cavs. The Pacers could secure a Play-In berth with a win on Tuesday and a Chicago loss to Brooklyn.
Indiana got a big lift from former Butler star Kelan Martin on Monday. Martin went off for 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting (3-of-4 from 3-point range) against Cleveland. Prior to Monday, Martin had scored in double figures just once all season — an 11-point performance in last Wednesday's loss to Sacramento — but he scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone on Monday.
Monday's win coupled with Washington's loss to Atlanta moved the Pacers back ahead of the Wizards in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. If they can hold that position, they would host their first Play-In game next week.
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The 76ers, meanwhile, don't have to concern themselves with playing their way into the playoffs. Philadelphia has had a playoff spot locked up for weeks and can secure the top seed in the East and homecourt advantage through the conference finals with a win on Tuesday.
Much of Philadelphia's success can be attributed to likely MVP finalist Joel Embiid, who ranks third in the NBA in scoring (29.2 points per game) and 10th in rebounding (10.7 per contest). Embiid is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game due to a non-COVID illness, but if he can't go, the Sixers still have plenty of capable options, including Tobias Harris (19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game), Ben Simmons (14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists), and Seth Curry (12.5 points, 44.1 percent 3-point shooting).
Projected Starters
Caris LeVert
Aaron Holiday
Doug McDermott
Oshae Brissett
Domantas Sabonis
Ben Simmons
Seth Curry
Danny Green
Tobias Harris
Joel Embiid
Pacers: PG - Caris LeVert, SG - Aaron Holiday, SF - Doug McDermott, PF - Oshae Brissett, C - Domantas Sabonis
76ers: PG - Ben Simmons, SG - Seth Curry, SF - Danny Green, PF - Tobias Harris, C - Joel Embiid
Injury Report
Pacers: JaKarr Sampson - questionable (concussion), Malcolm Brogdon - out (sore right hamstring), Jeremy Lamb - out (sore left knee), Edmond Sumner - out (left knee contusion), Myles Turner - out (partial plantar plate tear, right foot great toe), T.J. Warren - out (left foot stress fracture)
76ers: Joel Embiid - questionable (non-COVID illness), Furkan Korkmaz - out (sprained left ankle), Matisse Thybulle - out (sore left hand)
Last Meeting
March 1, 2021: The Sixers dominated the second and third quarters to open up a commanding lead before cruising to a 130-114 victory over the Pacers in Philadelphia.
Joel Embiid had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in just 27 minutes as Philadelphia handed the Pacers their fourth straight loss.
"I thought they made the right plays on our double-teams," Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren said. "I thought Joel Embiid played a very solid game. I think in that stretch there (in the second quarter) there were about two or three times that he kicked it to the weak side and (they) hit a few threes on us. That was three, six, nine (points) real quick."
Malcolm Brogdon, who returned to the lineup after missing the previous in New York with a sore right knee, had a team-high 20 points for Indiana. Edmond Sumner scored a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Domantas Sabonis added 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Shake Milton tallied 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, four rebounds, and four assists for Philadelphia. Furkan Korkmaz added 19 points while going 6-for-13 from 3-point range, Ben Simmons added 18 points, and Mike Scott scored 11.
Noteworthy
- Philadelphia has won both meetings so far this season with the Pacers. With a win on Tuesday, the 76ers would sweep the season series with Indiana for the first time since 2004-05.
- The Pacers are 10-5 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
- At 20-14, Philadelphia has the best road record in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has the third-worst road record in the East (12-21).
Tickets
A limited number of tickets for all remaining Pacers home games are now on sale. Single Game Tickets » Health & Safety Guidelines »
Broadcast Information TV & 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), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.