Instant Observations: Embiid Leaves Game Early, 76ers Suffer Another Loss to Pacers

It was not a good night of basketball in Philadelphia. Joel Embiid left the game early after being hit in the face while going up for a rebound. The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Indiana Pacers 121-107 on Friday night, falling to 7-16 on the season.

Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field. Paul George finished with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 12 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement), Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy) and Kyle Lowry (low back spasms) were out for Philadelphia.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Obi Toppin totaled 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Ben Sheppard (left oblique strain), Aaron Nesmith (left ankle sprain), Isaiah Jackson (right Achilles tendon tear) and James Wiseman (left Achilles tendon tear) were out of the lineup for the Pacers.

The Sixers next take on the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. Here are some instant observations from the loss to the Pacers:

Likes:

– With Caleb Martin out of the lineup, the Sixers had to dig a bit deeper into their rotation against Indiana. Ricky Council IV was the beneficiary, and he took advantage of the opportunity. He played with a tenacious energy level, particularly as a rebounder and on the fast break. His ability to push the floor earned him multiple trips to the free-throw line. Despite an inefficient night shooting the basketball, Council IV gave the Sixers all they could ask for off the bench. He finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Council IV was not the only Sixers wing player who had a strong night off the bench. KJ Martin continued his career-best season. He has found a recipe for success offensively centered around playing in the dunker spot and knocking down the occasional corner 3-pointer. The Pacers, like most teams, will be content to leave Martin open from beyond the arc. Martin deserves a lot of credit for improving as an outside shooter. Including this game against the Pacers, Martin has connected on five of his past 11 attempts from 3-point range.

– After a horrendous start to the season, Oubre has seemingly rediscovered his focus on both ends of the floor. He has been one of the Sixers’ best and most reliable players in recent weeks. He is hitting the glass hard, finishing with double-digit rebounds for the third consecutive game. His chaotic style of play can be confounding to watch at times. However, when at his best and playing fully locked in, Oubre can be a glue guy for the Sixers.

Dislikes:

– Embiid is doing a great job impacting the game in a multitude of ways. He dished out four assists in the first quarter alone. The Pacers seemed determined to not let Embiid get going as a scorer. They often shaded a second player over in his direction. Embiid successfully managed to turn the extra attention into clean looks for his teammates.

Really nice passing from Joel Embiid in the first quarter tonight. Did a great job creating open looks for his teammates. pic.twitter.com/ZqxIVJYUnq

— Dan Olinger (@dan_olinger) December 14, 2024

Embiid began to take over as a scorer in the second quarter. The Sixers used the pick-and-pop game to get Embiid a couple of easy mid-range jumpers. He also played with some physicality that resulted in a couple of trips to the free-throw line. After playing in just five of the Sixers’ first 22 games, it was good to see Embiid on the court and in his usual form.

However, disaster struck for the Sixers in the final seconds of the first half. Embiid, going up for a defensive rebound, got hit hard in the face and went crashing down to the floor.

Joel Embiid got up and walked to the locker room with a few seconds left to play in the first half, was hit in the face by the arm of Bennedict Mathurin here. pic.twitter.com/2gLajNwgny

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) December 14, 2024

The Sixers later ruled Embiid out for the remainder of the game with impact to the right side of face. According to the team, he will be undergoing further testing. Any injuries to Embiid’s face is cause for concern considering his history of orbital bone fractures. Embiid has barely been able to get on the floor this season due to lingering knee issues. If he has to miss any extended period of time with this latest injury, it will obviously be a big hit for the Sixers.

– The Sixers, due to missing the 2024 NBA Emirates Cup, are in the midst of a quiet portion of their schedule. Going into this matchup against the Pacers, Philadelphia had played in just one game over the past six days. This period allowed them to get some much needed rest. However, the prolonged break perhaps also resulted in getting them out of rhythm.

Their offense looked clunky and out of sync for large portions of this game. Instead of leaning on the Maxey-Embiid pick-and-roll, the Sixers elected to attempt to mix in multiple different actions. The result was some inefficient, disorganized basketball. The Sixers committed 12 turnovers in the first half alone. Four different Sixers players committed multiple turnovers. Most of their turnovers could be attributed to sloppy, lazy basketball.

George was a non-factor offensively for much of the contest. The Sixers have yet to figure out how to keep George involved in the offense when their star trio is together on the floor. He salvaged his night by knocking down a few shots in the fourth quarter, but his lack of consistent involvement remains a problem. Head coach Nick Nurse needs to draw up more plays designed to get George going.

Maxey had one of his better scoring games of the season. He shot the ball efficiently from beyond the arc while also using his speed to successfully get to the basket. In a season in which he has struggled to shoot with any semblance of efficiency, his performance as a scorer against the Pacers was a positive step forward. However, Maxey was absolutely brutal in terms of taking care of the basketball. After taking major strides as a playmaker last season, Maxey has taken a step back on that front. He committed a season-high six turnovers against the Pacers.