Embiid returns, Maxey sizzles as 76ers Vs Pacers ends 135-114 and seals 2-1 road trip
The 76ers vs pacers showdown on Tuesday night ended with Philadelphia beating Indiana 135-114, a win that finished the Sixers’ three-game road trip 2-1 and left the team heading back to Philadelphia optimistic.
76ers Vs Pacers: Embiid returns, Maxey stars
Joel Embiid returned to action after his longest absence since November, and Tyrese Maxey produced a superstar-caliber showing as the Sixers routed a tanking Indiana Pacers 135-114 on Tuesday night. The victory followed Philadelphia’s emphatic bounce-back from a horrid loss to the New Orleans Pelicans and an earlier road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, and pushed the Sixers’ record to 32-26.
How the game unfolded
Embiid eased into the matchup, assisting on a pair of baskets and missing a long jumper before baiting Pacers center Jay Huff into a foul with a rip-through move. He did not make a shot in the first five minutes and change, but still accounted for nine of the Sixers’ first 14 points between a pair of free throws and three assists, then added a few easy buckets before checking out after an opening stint of about eight minutes.
Philadelphia finished the opening frame down by eight points. A non-Embiid lineup featuring three guards answered with a 17-0 run to open the second quarter and seize control. When Embiid returned, the unit of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Dominick Barrow and Adem Bona had outscored Indiana 22-2 in four minutes and 20 seconds to give the Sixers a 12-point lead. Embiid added two buckets — the first a layup set up by Maxey — then knocked down an above-the-break triple, a moment accompanied by a social clip that read “Joel for threee! 🗣️. ” He hit a mid-range jumper after that and then, unclear in the provided context.
Maxey and the bench carried the middle quarters
Maxey flashed three-level scoring and flirted with a triple-double, delivering another big performance in his second straight game with high-end production. Earlier in the trip against Minnesota, Maxey poured in 39 points on 16-of-28 shooting, added eight assists and two steals while going toe-to-toe with Anthony Edwards. Rookie VJ Edgecombe also carried momentum from that game — he shot 6-for-7 from three and showed off his midrange — and Quentin Grimes finished that night with 19 points and seven assists. With Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined, Maxey has drawn heavy defensive attention in recent games, a trend his Minnesota output suggested he can handle.
Pacers shorthanded and looking ahead to the lottery
Indiana was depleted against Philadelphia. Tyrese Haliburton was obviously unavailable, and Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, Pascal Siakam and Ivica Zubac were also sidelined. Haliburton is still working his way back from an Achilles injury while also dealing with shingles. Pascal Siakam had come off a brief absence for personal reasons. The Pacers sit 15th in the Eastern Conference and appear focused on the draft lottery — they are one game "ahead" of Brooklyn for the second-best odds — and the club has added pieces like Ivica Zubac, who would not suit up for this game. Andrew Nembhard has taken expanded chances and is averaging 17. 2 points and 7. 5 assists in nearly 32 minutes per game.
Context from earlier in the season and what the win meant
After 18 days, five games and two different injury designations, Sixers staff and fans were pleased to see Embiid back on the floor. Indiana had allowed Embiid’s first true scoring outburst of the season — a 39-point gem on Dec. 12 — and then a 30-point game on 17 shots a month and change later. Against this short-handed Pacers roster, Philadelphia did not relent: after a shaky first quarter the Sixers took firm control and closed out the road trip with a comfortable victory.
The Sixers head back to Philadelphia after the win, their three-game road trip complete and the club able to build on Maxey’s recent form and Embiid’s return as they prepare for their next scheduled event.
