By: Brandon Apter, managing editor 
After another fourth-quarter rally fell short last night against the Celtics, the Sixers (9-61) will try and bounce back on the first game of their four-game road trip tonight against the Pacers (36-33) in Indianapolis. Philadelphia has lost five in a row while Indiana has lost three of their last four games.
Last night against Boston, the Sixers went through a stretch in the first that saw them miss 17 straight shots ended up shooting just 5-for-26 for the quarter in their 120-105 loss. The Sixers average 23.6 points in the first quarter this season, good for 27th in the NBA. After trailing 28-16 in the first, it was an uphill battle from there. The Sixers kept pace with Boston in the third, cutting the lead from 15 to as little as six, but the Celtics led by nine after three. Philadelphia closed the gap to four with 9:20 left in the fourth, but they wouldn't get any closer. Veteran forward Carl Landry led the Sixers offense off the bench with 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. Hollis Thompson scored 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting while Nerlens Noel scored just four points on 2-for-8 shooting. Noel also had eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
The Pacers are coming off of a 115-111 loss to the Thunder. Paul George dazzled, scoring 45 points on 14-for-29 shooting from the field and 13-for-15 from the free-throw line. He had seven rebounds, four assists and four three-pointers. George had an opportunity to tie the game at 112 with a free throw, but he missed it and the Pacers were forced to foul, sending Kevin Durant to the line twice. All five of Indiana's starters reached double figures, including George Hill, who contributed with 20 points and nine assists.
Game Notes:
- Paul George is averaging 23.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.9 steals this season for the Pacers. He scored 34 to go along with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in Indiana's victory over the Sixers in November.
- Philadelphia has lost seven of their last eight games against the Pacers.
- Indiana currently sits in the seventh spot in the East, just a half game ahead of eighth-place Chicago.
- In the second games of back-to-backs this season, the Sixers are 1-14.
Projected Lineups:
Sixers
PG – Ish Smith
SG – Isaiah Canaan
SF – Hollis Thompson
PF – Jerami Grant
C – Nerlens Noel
Pacers
PG – George Hill
SG – Monta Ellis
SF – Paul George
PF – Myles Turner
C – Ian Mahinmi
Game Information:
Tip-off: 7PM
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: The Comcast Network
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
