On the heels of a three-game win streak, the Indiana Pacers took on the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night in hopes of bringing that total to four.
Unfortunately, they ran into Tyrese Maxey, who was on an absolute mission. The 76ers guard finished the night with 50 points, leading the 76ers to a 137-126 win over the Pacers.
However, the game wasn’t without some drama, as after an early 76ers lead, the Pacers battled all the way back, even taking a brief lead over Philadelphia early in the fourth quarter.
And while they weren’t able to pick up a win, there were still some positive performances to note from the game. Let’s take a look at two studs and one dud.
Stud - Aaron Nesmith
The box score doesn’t always tell the full story, and in the case of Aaron Nesmith on Sunday night, that’s partly the case, as he was one of the most impactful players on the Indiana Pacers.
Nesmith finished the game with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep, but he came in clutch when Indiana needed him.
He nailed a huge three-pointer late in the third to cut Philadelphia’s lead to just six points, and just two minutes into the fourth, he made a tough layup at the rim to give the Pacers’ their first lead of the game.
Nesmith was also one of just three Pacers to finish the night with a positive +/-, as he was a +2 in his 26:14 of action against the 76ers.
Dud - Bennedict Mathurin
After a string of amazing performances that had Indiana Pacers fans hopeful for a potential Bennedict Mathurin sophomore season surge, the youngster came crashing back down to earth against the Indiana Pacers.
Once again, Mathurin didn’t play 30+ minutes, and he only ended up taking 11 shots against the 76ers. Indiana is clearly prioritizing winning, and when Mathurin doesn’t have it, he’s not going to play as much or get as many shots.
It was simply an extremely off night for the 21-year-old wing, as he ended up playing fewer minutes than Aaron Nesmith, who came off the bench for the Pacers.
Mathurin finished the contest with nine points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting just 4-of-11 from the field and 0-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
To fully put Mathurin’s performance into perspective, one quick look at his +/- tells the story. Mathurin was a team-worst -24 on the night, and the second-worst mark on the team was Andrew Nembhard’s -15.
Indiana is looking to Mathurin to blossom into the second star they need on their roster, but they also can’t afford to let him play through some of the mishaps he deals with as they look to win basketball games.
It’s still early, but inconsistency is quickly becoming the theme of Mathurin’s sophomore season.
Stud - Tyrese Haliburton
At this point, Tyrese Haliburton shouldn’t even be allowed on this list anymore because it seems as though in every single game he plays for the Indiana Pacers, he’s going to be a stud.
After making his first All-Star team last year, Haliburton has managed to kick things up a notch, and this season, he’s playing like an All-NBA-level guard for the Pacers.
Things were no different against the Philadelphia 76ers, as while the Pacers failed to walk away with a win, Haliburton was still far and away the best player on the court for Indiana. He looked amazing.
Haliburton ended the night with a team-high 25 points to go along with one rebound, a ridiculous 17 assists, two steals, and one block. He shot 9-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from behind the three-point arc.
It seems as though every time Haliburton touches the ball, it turns to gold for the Pacers, who currently lay claim to the best offense in basketball (and he’s the primary reason why).
Haliburton played 36:10 against the Pacers, which was the most on the team, and he (+4), along with Aaron Nesmith and TJ McConnell, was one of three players who had a positive +/- against the 76ers.