3 observations after Embiid leaves following face hit, Sixers lose to Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Joel Embiid only played one half and the Sixers failed to add an eighth victory Friday night.
They fell to 7-16 on the season with a 121-107 loss to the Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture after receiving an unintentional blow to the face from Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, a Sixers official said Friday night. It will be evaluated in more detail this weekend.
The Sixers opened the game without Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy). Both players have returned to work on the field and are taken into account on a daily basis. Kyle Lowry was a late scratch due to lower back spasms.
Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 22 points. Paul George added 15 and Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers 11-15 with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight rebounds.
Next up for the Sixers is a road game Monday night against the Hornets. Here are some observations from their loss to Indiana:
Pacers pounce on Sixers negligence
The death of Embiid was a plus at the start.
The superstar big man had four assists in the first quarter. Oubre cut behind the Indiana defense on the first play of the game and Embiid fed him a layup. The Sixers had some good moments inside thanks to post-ups from several players, including an Embiid feed that set up George for a wide-open three-pointer.
The Pacers responded to a 9-2 deficit by coming back with a 14-0 run. The Sixers’ turnovers played a key role, allowing Indiana to attack in transition. Mathurin knocked the ball away from an unsuspecting George, leading to a second straight three for Haliburton. He made four triples in the first half.
Maxey turned the ball over early in the second quarter when the Pacers hit him in the pick-and-roll shortly after crossing half court. Seconds later, TJ McConnell threw a successful alley-oop to Obi Toppin and Indiana took a 37-24 lead. To this point, the Sixers have recorded eight turnovers compared to just one for the Pacers.
Indiana put effective pressure on Maxey, who scored 45 points on October 27 in an overtime victory against the Pacers. Before Friday, his record for turnovers this season was four. He made five gifts in the first half.
It didn’t help that the Sixers came up empty on several decent looks. Embiid missed a layup over Myles Turner and started 0 for 4 from the floor. He started 0 of 7 in the Victory for the Sixers on Sunday against the Bulls.
Only half of Embiid
Eric Gordon was the only Sixer available not in the team’s 10-man rotation.
While the team’s second unit had some defensive breakdowns, the young trio of Jared McCain, KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV combined for 16 points in the first half.
Once back for his second stint, Embiid was determined to go after Turner inside. He drew Turner’s third foul with 4:49 left in the second quarter.
All attention turned to Embiid’s health late in the second. He was hit in the face by Mathurin’s arm as the Indiana guard chased down a potential offensive rebound. Embiid eventually got up and returned to the Sixers locker room holding a towel over his face. He didn’t return to the ground.
The sinus fracture is another injury issue in a long, long list for Embiid, who twice wore a face mask during the playoffs after returning from orbital fractures.
McCain started the third quarter and had an injury scare of his own when he fell hard during a practice and appeared to hit his head on the field. According to a Sixers official, McCain was evaluated for a concussion and cleared to return.
Return effort fails
The Sixers fell behind by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.
However, they came back into the match at the end of the third period. Oubre, Council and Andre Drummond all played hard and did good physical work on the boards.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used George and four bench players to start the fourth quarter. George became more aggressive, sinking a floater and jumper that cut the Pacers’ lead to 92-87.
Ultimately, the Sixers appeared to be out of juice and Indiana made enough timely shots, including two Siakam jumpers in a row. Haliburton scored a hoop and one over McCain, then stopped at the bench to celebrate with his teammates. The Pacers’ lead continued to grow and they cruised to victory.
For the Sixers, the main thing that matters is yet another Embiid injury.
