Joel Embiid, Sixers Outduel Tyrese Haliburton’s Pacers

Monday night’s battle between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers wasn’t for lovers of defense. From start to finish, the Sixers and the Pacers established the matchup as an offensive duel, one that would feature two scoring stars in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Haliburton.

Through the first quarter of action, both teams shot above 60 percent from the field. While Embiid and Haliburton were the focal points of both defenses, each team had a different fire starter to begin the game.

For Philly, it was Tyrese Maxey who got things going. In the starting five once again, Maxey was nearly perfect from the field in the first quarter, dropping five of his six shots and knocking down all but one of his five three-point attempts. He scored 14 of Philadelphia’s 38 first-quarter points.

On the Pacers’ side, the forward Jordan Nwora led the charge. In eight minutes on the court, he produced four of his six shots from the field and put up ten of the Pacers’ first 39 points. Indiana gained a slight edge over the Sixers by draining 65 percent of their shots and leading by one.

In the second quarter, the Pacers attempted 11 more shots than the Sixers. However, Philly was slightly more efficient. Knocking down 65 percent of their field goals and draining six of their threes, the Sixers kept up with fewer attempts.

And as the stars settled into their roles for the night, the duel of Embiid and Haliburton ensued before the half, as both teams scored 40 points in the third quarter. Through two quarters, the Pacers had a narrow one-point lead in a game where the lead changed 25 times in the first 24 minutes.

Coming out in the second half, Embiid attacked Indiana with a 14-point quarter, but the Pacers would punch back with an answer for every basket. Although the Sixers finally led for a quarter, they outscored the Pacers by just one point, which knotted the game at 114 going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter is where the Sixers finally found separation. Not only did they keep up with their efficient shooting, but Philadelphia also flashed better defense by forcing five turnovers. Haliburton had himself a solid final seven minutes by scoring 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with Philly.

Outdueling the Pacers 33-29 in the final quarter, the Sixers managed to put the Pacers away 147-143. Embiid led the charge and spoiled Haliburton’s 40-point outing with a 42-point showing of his own. Meanwhile, James Harden dished out 20 assists, just eight fewer assists than Indiana’s entire team.

The Sixers received solid contributions from everybody on the offensive end of the floor on Monday, as six players notched double digits while the team averaged 59 percent from the field and 47 percent from downtown.

While the Pacers put up a good fight, they dropped to 29-37 on the year. Meanwhile, the Sixers collected their second-straight victory and advanced to 42-22 as they look to climb the Eastern Conference ranks down the stretch of the regular season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.