Philadelphia 76ers Turn First Seeding Game Over vs. Pacers on Saturday

A hot start for the Philadelphia 76ers down in Orlando ended ice-cold as T.J. Warren and the Indiana Pacers took care of business against the Sixers on Saturday night. 

Heading into the game, the Sixers knew they had a size advantage. Also, the Pacers were shorthanded as two of their key players missed the game with injuries. Although Victor Oladipo ended up deciding to play, he wasn't the Pacers player that the Sixers had to worry about.

Instead, it was T.J. Warren who stole the show. As he checked in for just over 40 minutes, Warren managed to exceed his career-high and became the first NBA player to notch over 50 points in one game down in the Orlando bubble. 

Although the Sixers received promising performances from Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, it wasn't enough for the 76ers to come out on top. The turnover differential tells the entire story of the game. From the jump, the Sixers lost control after getting a healthy lead early on in the first quarter. 

By halftime, the Sixers had turned the ball over 14 times. Meanwhile, the Pacers had just five turnovers as they led the 76ers 61-55. While the Sixers came clawing back and got out in front of the Pacers with a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, Indiana was ready to light Philly up once again.

In the fourth, the Sixers allowed the Pacers to knock down 80-percent of their shots from the field. In total, Indiana scored 46 points as T.J. Warren remained hot and accounted for 19 of those late-game points. 

By the end of the game, the Sixers had turned the ball over 21 times. Although they hung around long enough to avoid getting blown out by the end, the Pacers handled the Sixers 127-121, wasting a stellar 41-point game from 76ers All-Star center, Joel Embiid. Now, the Sixers remain the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference staying behind Indiana, who has the tie-breaker and a better record at this point.