3 observations after Embiid leaves following hit to his face, Sixers lose to Pacers

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3 observations after Embiid leaves following hit to his face, Sixers lose to Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid played just one half and the Sixers failed to add an eighth win Friday night.

They dropped to 7-16 this season with a 121-107 loss to the Pacers.

Embiid did not play the second half after being unintentionally stuck on the right side of his face by Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin. He will undergo further testing, a Sixers official said.

The Sixers were without Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy). Both players have resumed on-court work and are considered day-to-day. Kyle Lowry was scratched late because of lower back spasms.

Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 22 points. Paul George added 15 and Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Tyrese Haliburton led the 11-15 Pacers with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight boards.

Next up for the Sixers a road game Monday night against the Hornets. Here are observations on their defeat to Indiana:

Pacers pounce on Sixers’ sloppiness

Embiid’s passing was a plus in the early going.

The superstar big man tallied four first-quarter assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. cut behind the Indiana defense on the game’s first play and Embiid dished to him for a layup. The Sixers had a few nice inside-out moments from multiple players’ post-ups, including an Embiid feed that set George up for a wide-open three-pointer.

The Pacers responded to a 9-2 deficit by storming back with a 14-0 run. The Sixers’ turnovers played a key part, allowing Indiana to attack in transition. Mathurin poked the ball away from an unsuspecting George, leading to Haliburton’s second consecutive three. He made four triples in the first period.

Maxey turned the ball early in the second quarter over when the Pacers blitzed him in the pick-and-roll shortly after he crossed half court. Seconds later, T.J. McConnell tossed a successful alley-oop to Obi Toppin and Indiana took a 37-24 lead. At that point, the Sixers had eight turnovers to the Pacers’ one.

Indiana applied effective pressure on…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/3-observations-embiid-leaves-following-023041232.html

Author : NBC Sports Philadelphia

Publish date : 2024-12-14 02:47:00

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