After two nights off, the 76ers walked into Indiana and found themselves in a real fight. Even with Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac out for the Pacers, Philadelphia had to weather runs from a shorthanded opponent before leaving with a 114-109 win and a 4-1 start to the young season.
The night belonged to Tyrese Maxey when the game was there to be seized. He was quiet for most of the first three quarters, then lit it up in the fourth with five triples and 17 points over the final 12 minutes.
By the end of the night, Maxey had 25 points, along with five rebounds, four assists and a steal. He finished by looking exactly like the kind of shotmaker Philadelphia wants when everything tightens up late.
TYRESE MAXEY HAS 15 OF HIS 25 IN THE FOURTH.HITTING CLUTCH TRIPLES DOWN THE STRETCH! pic.twitter.com/5H2pkmTg0n
Anfernee Simons also gave the Sixers a much-needed jolt. He came in searching for a clean game after three straight rough ones, during which he had scored just 13 points total and made only two of 13 tries from deep.
Against Indiana, he broke out with 20 points and six made 3-pointers, giving Philadelphia steady scoring off the bench. He also posted a team-best plus-14 in 27 minutes, and his work helped hold things together while the starters struggled to find rhythm.
Without what he brought, the Sixers likely don’t hang around long enough for Maxey’s fourth-quarter takeover to matter.
Not everyone in Philadelphia’s rotation got the same kind of run. Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. did not play at all, marking his third DNP-CD in five games this season. That’s not a shock with the team’s backcourt depth, but it does mean the first-round pick is still waiting for his chance to become part of the nightly picture.
Dean Wade, meanwhile, had a quiet night after the Sixers signed him to a four-year, $39 million deal in free agency. He logged just 17 minutes, didn’t score, and finished with one rebound and one assist.
He also picked up five fouls, which came out to one every 3.4 minutes he was on the floor. It was only his third game of the season, so Philadelphia can give him some room to settle in.
Still, the Sixers will need more from him going forward.
In Other News...
Sixers Could Catch Pacers At The Perfect Time Wednesday
Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe are expected back in the 76ers lineup Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, giving Philadelphia a major boost after both sat out the previous game with injuries. Even with those reinforcements, the Sixers are still working around several absences of their own, including Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall and Jabari Walker, so the rotation is not exactly at full strength yet.
Still, the timing could matter. Indiana arrives with its own injury concerns, and the Pacers have several players on the report, including some key names who are either out or in question for the matchup. For a Sixers team trying to stabilize itself, this is the kind of spot where getting Embiid back can change the feel of the night quickly, even if the full picture on the other side is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Adem Bona Just Put Real Pressure On The Sixers Backup Center Race
A recent run of minutes gave Adem Bona the kind of opportunity the 76ers have been waiting to see him seize. In 25 minutes, he finished with six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, a line that underscored why the coaching staff had already envisioned him as part of the center rotation. With injuries thinning the big-man group and Andre Drummond gone, the pathway behind Joel Embiid has opened wider than expected.
Bonas case is built less on scoring than on the traits Philadelphia needs most when Embiid sits: activity, rim protection and work on the glass. The competition for backup center minutes is still shaped by who is available, but Bona has clearly put himself in position to be the primary option off the bench. For a team trying to preserve Embiid while staying solid in the frontcourt, that is no small development. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Nets Wanted No Part Of Jaylen Brown
Before Jaylen Brown ever got to Philadelphia, the Nets apparently had a chance to bring him to Brooklyn and passed. According to league insider Brian Lewis, Boston floated Brown in trade talks, but Brooklyn declined in large part because of his close relationship with Kyrie Irving, a connection the organization apparently did not want to revisit after the turbulence of Irvings run there.
For the Sixers, the backstory is part of the larger appeal of landing a player who has settled in and produced right away. Brown is performing well this season, and while the Brooklyn angle is mostly a what-if now, it helps explain why his arrival in Philadelphia mattered beyond the normal trade chatter. The Nets may have had their reasons for staying away, but the Sixers are the ones benefiting from what they saw as a clean fit. [Read more 🡒]