Defense optional? Pacers’ Haliburton lights up the 76ers in the loss

The Pacers returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the second night of a back-to-back to face the Philadelphia 76ers. I assumed that the game would be at a fast pace because most teams want to try and run the “tired” team on the back end of two games in two nights. The final score was not in the Pacers’ favor, falling to the 76ers 147-143.

Yes… that was the final score. If you blinked, another bucket was falling. Both teams were shooting well, and the ball was zipping around the court. It was a fun game to watch, even though the Pacers were on the losing end.

And who doesn’t like to see Will Ferrell in the house!? And 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson)!? Maybe a sign of things to come for the 2024 All-Star Game?

The Good

The Pacers offense was flying this evening. Scoring 143 is no small feat, and the Pacers ended up with 7 players in double-figures. I was worried after the end of the first half, which ended on this Haliburton three, that the Pacers were going to fade quickly in the second half…

The Pacers surprised me, though. My fears of being on the second night of a back-to-back did not come true. The Pacers continued to pile it on the score board, matching the 76ers and almost doing enough to get the much needed victory.

Perhaps the only flaw tonight for the Pacers offense was from the free-throw line. The Pacers were 22-31, shooting 71%, which would not be a huge problem except that the 76ers were 35-38 from the line. Looking at that statistic, it’s amazing that the Pacers were even in the game! As a side note, the free throw discrepancy is a bit discouraging.

The Bad

Guarding Joel Embiid is always a challenge. Tonight was no different. There was no stopping him as the center ended with 42 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. The eye-popping statistic was Embiid’s free throw numbers… 19-19. Now that’s an easy percent to calculate! If Embiid is going to shoot like that from the charity stripe, I don’t see how anyone can beat him. Turner did his best, but let’s be honest, nobody can really guard Embiid. He was cooking tonight, and his play was probably the difference tonight. I mean who is going to stop this guy?

Boom Baby

It was the floor general’s night again for Indiana. Tyrese Haliburton had an insane game for the Pacers. I’m sure he’d trade those stats for a Pacers victory, but the point guard was so good this evening, scoring 40 points and dishing out 1 assists. His first half was magnificent. You could tell that the 76ers were game planning to slow Haliburton down some in the second half, but he still was able to work his typical magic. I love watching him hand out the assists with ease, and rarely turn the ball over when doing that. I’m so excited to continue to see Haliburton lead this team into the future.