By: Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Sixers (4-4) defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night to reach .500 for the first time in 1,447 days, but their rigorous schedule to start the season continues as they host an Indiana Pacers (5-3) team that has exceeded expectations to start the season. The Sixers and the Pacers are both in the middle of a three-game winning streak.
Welcome Back, Richaun
Richaun Holmes arrived last year, stealing the backup center job from Jahlil Okafor after Nerlens Noel was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Holmes and Amir Johnson were expected to provide frontcourt relief this season before Holmes was sidelined with a fracture in his left wrist.
Now Holmes is set to make his return on Friday night to give the Sixers a boost off of the bench from the energetic big man, although Brett Brown will likely ease him in with Amir Johnson averaging 12 points and nine rebounds over the last two games and Holmes having to get back into game shape.
Holmes averaged 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds a season ago in 20.9 minutes a game. He shot 55.8 percent from the field.
Bench Warming Up
To start the season the Sixers's received atrocious play from the bench, but it has heated up over the last three games. In the first five games of the season, where the Sixers were 1-4, the bench combined to shoot 35.5 percent from the field.
During the Sixers current three game winning streak the bench has improved drastically, shooting 56.7 percent. The main difference? Dario Saric has moved from the bench into a starting role. Saric has struggled mightily to start the season, and has not been too much better as a starter, but he has not disrupted the Sixers starting rotation with his presence, and the bench has been more productive without Saric's poor performances getting in the way.
Saric first entered the starting lineup when J.J. Redick had to miss two games with lower back tightness. Redick returned against Atlanta but instead of Saric returning to the bench it was sharpshooter Jerryd Bayless who became the team's new sixth man.
Bayless has shot the ball well so far this season, shooting 47.8 percent from the field and an astounding 45.2 percent from three point range. Bayless figures to bring a better scoring punch off of the bench than Saric had been.
Pacers Racing to Fast Start
The Sixers first two months of the season has been called the toughest opening stretch for any team in the NBA this season against teams like Boston, Cleveland, Golden State, and Houston multiple times in that span.
One of the easier games for the Sixers in that stretch was supposed to be this game against the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have shocked the league without Paul George after an offseason trade that sent the star wing to Oklahoma City and with franchise center Myles Turner missing the majority of the beginning of the season with a concussion.
Interestingly it has been the pieces that Indiana received in George trade that have put the team on their back. Victor Oladipo is averaging 23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 50.0 percent from beyond the arc in 31.2 minutes a night.
The other key piece in the deal, Domantas Sabonis, has averaged 13.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game.
Sabonis and Oladipo have helped the Pacers win games without their best player. The bad news for the Sixers? That missing piece could return for the Pacers on Friday night.
Turner's concussion symptoms have subsided, and now he is just working on getting his conditioning back. Turner was expected to miss the Pacers last two games and tonight's game was designated as his targeted return date.
In Turner's only game of the season he scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished two assists, and had four blocks in 34 minutes.
Projected Lineups
| Matchup Preview | November 3, 2017 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Indiana Pacers (5-3, 2-2 Away) |
Philadelphia 76ers (4-4, 1-2 Home) |
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*Sixers injury report - JJ Redick is listed as probable for tonight's game with lower back tightness. Markelle Fultz is out with right shoulder soreness
*Pacers injury report – Myles Turner is a game time decision with a concussion
Game Information
Tip-off – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia (previously CSN)
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
