2 Winners and 2 Losers From 76ers' Win Over Pacers

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After two nights off, the Philadelphia 76ers were back in action against the Pacers in Indiana on Wednesday night. The Pacers were without two starters in Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac, but they still gave the new-look Sixers all they could handle.
The two teams traded double-digit leads, but ultimately the Sixers were able to pull out a 114-109 victory to move to 4-1 on the young season. Here's a look at two winners and two losers for Philadelphia from the win over Indiana.
Winner: Anfernee Simons
Anfernee Simons was in desperate need of a productive performance against Indiana after three straight stinkers, and he delivered. In the three previous games, Simons had totaled just 13 points while converting just two of his 13 attempts from long range. He snapped out of his funk against the Pacers in a big way, as he scored 20 points and knocked down six 3-pointers over the course of the contest.
ladies and gentlemen, Anfernee Simons 👏
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 29, 2026
20 PTS | 6-10 from three@PALottery pic.twitter.com/1NXONOPJBU
Simons finished the game with a team-high +14 in his 27 minutes of action. His production off of the bench helped keep the 76ers in the game on a collectively tough night for the starters. He basically kept the team afloat until Tyrese Maxey was ready to take over in the fourth quarter. Without that production from Simons, the Sixers don't win that game.
Loser: Labaron Philon Jr.
Rookie guard Labaron Philon Jr. continues to be a non-factor in Philadelphia's rotation early in the season. Philon didn't play a single second against Indiana, which was his third DNP-CD in five games this season. Playing time was going to be hard to come by for Philon given the depth of Philadelphia's backcourt, so his lack of early-season playing time isn't necessarily a surprise. But, it's still a bummer for fans who would like to see a little more of the team's most recent first-round pick.
Winner: Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey was quiet through three quarters of action against Indiana, but he stepped up and took over the game when it mattered most. Maxey knocked down five triples in the fourth quarter of the contest and scored 17 points over the final 12 minutes to propel Philadelphia to victory.
Tyrese Maxey turned the fourth INTO. HIS. SHOW.
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2026
17 PTS
4-8 FGM
12 MIN
He would finish the game with a game-high 27 points as the @sixers move to 4-1 on the season! pic.twitter.com/VeK3xPmX5F
Maxey has developed into one of the most lethal shotmakers in the entire NBA, and that was on full display against Indiana. He also added five rebounds and four assists and a steal to round out his box score. It's still early in the season, but it sure looks like Maxey is quickly establishing himself as Philadelphia's go-to guy in clutch situations.
Loser: Dean Wade
The Sixers signed Dean Wade to a four-year, $39 million deal in free agency, so they obviously view him as a key contributor, but he was pretty invisible against Indiana. Wade played just 17 miutes in the game and he didn't make much of an impact. He didn't score and tallied just one rebound and one assist. He also racked up five fouls, which equates to a foul every 3.4 minutes that he was on the floor.
It was just Wade's third game of the season, so he'll get the benefit of the doubt for now. But, the Sixers will need him to be more impactful moving forward.
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Michael Kaskey-Blomain covers the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Eagles for On SI. As a credentialed media member, Michael has covered the Sixers since before Joel Embiid was known as “The Process” for a variety of outlets including The Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS Sports and ESPN 97.3. He has also covered the Eagles extensively for outlets including FanSided and Athlon Sports. Michael resides in Philadelphia and believes that American is the superior cheese for a cheesesteak.
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