76ers vs. Pacers: Tyrese Maxey, Adem Bona stand out in 5th straight loss
Today at 09:43 PM
The Philadelphia 76ers (15-25) started a road trip by squaring off with the Indiana Pacers (24-19). The Sixers’ performance wasn't great but they found themselves in a tough ride and held on to make this game close until the final few minutes. Final score: 115-102.
Joel Embiid is again down for the count as his left knee gives him more issues. He’s out for this road trip and potentially even more time. Paul George and Guerschon Yabusele were also sidelined, with the latter missing his first game of the season. Andre Drummond returned from a six-game absence as a new Sixers starting lineup made its way onto the court in the heartland.
Maxey leads the way
Back when this season was still a huge bummer but still had some hope left, Tyrese Maxey lit up the Pacers for Philly’s first win. His 45-point outing was an early glimmer of what he could do as the lead guy. Unfortunately for Philly, he’s struggled mightily as a lead option and has only come within five points of that previous total once.
Andrew Nembhard applied some backcourt pressure to Maxey, refusing to give the 76ers star an uncontested running start with or without the ball. His individual defense was strong and the Pacers, who wanted to make sure Maxey didn't beat them, didn't have a good answer when he went to the bench. He darted to the hoop for some early buckets after Nembhard’s pressure kept him at bay.
The understanding that Maxey’s elite three-point shooting came primarily as the result of great playmaking from his teammates became a step clearer, as it has all season with Embiid and George going in and out of the lineup. His off-the-dribble shooting from deep is still a big-time work in progress. The 76ers’ inability to scheme him open on catch-and-shoot looks makes it even more challenging to see one go down and build off that.
Maxey came through on fast breaks after the 76ers defense poked the ball away. He led all scorers with 15 at the half and continued to attack the rim in the second half. Even if his three-ball isn't going down, he’s still going to command enough respect out there to dart into the teeth of the defense.
Considering again the context that the 76ers’ offense is uninspiring, Maxey still needs to pick up some slack as a playmaker. Even with the poor three-point shooting from his team, he needs to keep growing as a facilitator. The final line for Maxey: 28 points, one rebound, three assists on 10-23 shooting.
Who steps up as a creator? Adem Bona, for one
Without George’s control of the ball and Yabusele’s comfort as a distributor up top and pick-and-roll/pop option (plus Embiid, who does both), the 76ers lacked a scary amount of offense. Maxey had the green light to do what he needed to but he also needed help. Shocking: he did not get enough.
Adem Bona, it must be noted, was fantastic in this game. While he didn't exactly serve as a centerpiece on offense, he made the most of his touches to out-smart and, more emphatically, out-jump the Pacers defense. A big fan of dunking for safety, he crashed the glass hard and finished several Sixers possessions with explosive two-handed slams. His night ended with 12 points on 5-5 shooting from the field.
In a lineup move that would be surprising even if they weren't the only two active centers on the 15-man roster, Drummond and Bona played together in the second quarter. That lineup didn't do much, Bona faked a handoff and slammed a dunk home for one of the biggest highlights of the night. He also threaded a backdoor feed to Maxey for a layup.
Kelly Oubre Jr. stepped up and hit some shots, scoring 18 points on 6-13 shooting. The Pacers played off him from three and he made them pay. His scores in transition helped, too. Ricky Council IV also had 18 points, shooting 3-9 from behind the arc and inside of it.
This was certainly a basketball game
The Pacers came out sloppy on both ends and the 76ers took advantage of it, jumping out to an 8-1 lead after a little over two minutes. Indiana responded with a 10-2 run to take the lead that was aided by some bad misses right at the rim and porous, inattentive defense from Philly. Help defense, rebounding, closing out, getting back after a shot — all of it was bad from the visitor’s side.
Those little details matter no matter who’s on the court but, especially with a team this ravaged by injuries, the 76ers could not avoid focusing on them. Although they still forced a bunch of turnovers and ran in transition, they were too undisciplined to get ahead of a Pacers team that itself was not very disciplined. For as well as they move the ball, their defense was not at all intimidating.
With a free-flowing offense that went from one action to the next and shared the ball beautifully, the Pacers avoided any shortage of good looks. They shot horribly from three but got so many high-percentage paint shots and offensive boards that they still led by five after the first quarter. That lead doubled in the second quarter and then evaporated.
Indiana may click on offense but they clunk on defense. The Sixers made it easier on themselves by scoring off of turnovers but they were also very efficient in the halfcourt. But then they made it harder on themselves by failing to secure rebounds on defense. These teams, in several ways, were perfect opposites — struggling in the area the other team was good in and vice versa. All the different ways they succeeded and failed coalesced into a messy, closely contested game.
The Pacers started to run away with the game with a 20-9 run that started in the third quarter and carried over to the fourth. But then the Sixers punched back with a lineup that featured Pete Nance at center. The deficit was trimmed to as little as six but Philly just didn't have the juice to complete the comeback.
The 76ers are back in action tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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