Indiana Pacers score season-high 143 points but fall just short against Philadelphia 76ers
Nobody could miss in the first half of the battle between the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Philly scored 78 points in the first half and shot 61% from the field. They looked unstoppable, and their stars showed up to play. It was an impressive performance. And yet, at the break, they were losing.
Indiana had 79 points in the first half, headlined by All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton's 22 points and nine assists. He, and the team, were sensational in the first half and shot 61.1% from the field. They made 76.5% of their two point shots.
"Just a lot of talent on the floor. A lot of big plays being made by everybody," Haliburton said of the offensive nature of the game.
Defense would be important in the second half. One of the squads would eventually get the necessary stops to break the game open, the question was which team was going to pull it off.
For a while, the answer was neither. The teams combined for 71 points in the third quarter, with neither group able to create separation. It was a sensational offensive game for both units.
Finally, in the fourth quarter, one team found a defensive groove for a short span. After the Pacers tied the game at 118 with 9:51 to go, Philadelphia went on a 10-0 run in about a two minute span, and Indiana missed five shots during the run. In a game where points were easy to come by, a few stops were huge for the 76ers.
That run ended up being the difference. The Pacers scrapped and clawed in an attempt to get the lead back, but they couldn't get enough stops to string together a run. They cut the lead down as low as four in the final minute, but it was too late.
In the end, Philadelphia won 147-143. It was the most points scored, and allowed, by Indiana in a single game this season. Their offense was excellent. Their defense was putrid.
"Two terrible defensive performances," Haliburton said after the game. "They have Joel Embiid," he added when asked why the Sixers were so hard to slow down.
Embiid finished with 42 points, including 19 free throws. The Pacers had no answers for him, and Haliburton noted that there is no good coverage against the MVP candidate when he is making fadeaway mid range jumpers.
The other Sixers star, James Harden, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and 20 assists. Philly's best weapons had excellent outings.
"This was just a very entertaining offensive game," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of the game. "We'll study the film hard and see what we can do to do better."
The schedule will remember this game as a loss for Indiana. But it is easy to imagine the team feeling good about how they played. It was a back-to-back with travel between the games, Philly is a great team, and the Pacers were without a starter in Aaron Nesmith. Yet they still scored 143 points and kept themselves in the game all night.
Several role players, such as Jordan Nwora (16 points), Jalen Smith (14 points), and T.J. McConnell (12 points, five rebounds, and four assists) had solid outings. Nine different Pacers players shot 50% or better from the field.
Indiana's star shined, too. Haliburton finished with 40 points and 16 assists in the defeat, and the Pacers won his minutes by seven. He did all he could to take down the 76ers. Offensively, there is a lot for the Pacers to be happy about from this game.
"I was really proud of our guys," Carlisle said. "Proud of this group. Our guys are learning, growing. And tonight, they went head up with a legitimate championship contending team. And that's meaningful."
Myles Turner added 10 points and Buddy Hield finished with 15. Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin made many important plays are had 13 points. Everybody who suited up for the blue and gold contributed.
They will hope to avenge this loss against the Houston Rockets on Thursday. The Rockets have the worst record in the NBA, so that is an opportunity for the Pacers to get a bounceback win.
- Myles Turner is playing the best basketball of his career for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Aaron Nesmith put in the extra work with the Boston Celtics. It's paying off for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- AllPacers goes one-on-one with new Indiana Pacers forward Jordan Nwora, CLICK HERE, and guard Trevelin Queen. CLICK HERE.
- Terry Taylor was surprised to be waived by the Indiana Pacers, but he's happy to have found a home with the Chicago Bulls. CLICK HERE.
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