3 Points: Pacers wake up, avoid letdown vs. undermanned 76ers ahead of critical Bucks matchup
PHILADELPHIA -- Pascal Siakam scored 27 points and the Pacers came back from down 16 points to eventually put away a severely undermanned 76ers team 112-100 at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night.
The Pacers improved to 37-28, keeping pace with the Bucks in the race for fourth place in the Eastern Conference heading into their matchup on Saturday night in Milwaukee. The 76ers fell to 22-44.
Center Myles Turner added 18 points, forward Aaron Nesmith scored 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 10 assists. Point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. led the 76ers with 24 points.
Pacers continue to play down to undermanned teams
The Pacers have a history of messing around with teams that are shorthanded or otherwise undermanned going back to the 2022-23 season when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and several other Nets starters sat out a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, forcing a league-wide conversation about load management but the Pacers lost to their remaining players anyway.
The Sixers had 11 players ruled out on Friday and had to sign former Pacers forward Oshae Brissett to a 10-day contract and bring up former IU star Jalen Hood-Schifino on his two-way contract. Most of the available players on the roster had spent significant time in the G League in the past two seasons including this year. However, the Pacers still allowed them to build a 16-point first half lead before they finally took the game over in the second half.
The 76ers won the first quarter 26-18 as the Pacers made just 7-of-21 field goals and 2-of-10 3-pointers in the period, posting an ugly efficiency figure of 0.86 points per possession. They eventually won the second quarter 29-25 but they still trailed 51-47 at halftime. At the break, they were just 17-of-48 from the floor and 5-of-20 from 3-point range. Meanwhile the 76ers were 18-of-38 and guard Jeff Dowtin already had 17 points on his way to a career scoring high.
The Pacers immediately turned things around in the second half with a 22-6 run to start the period. The 76ers came back against the second unit and the Pacers only won the third quarter 31-24, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle brought the starters back out late in the third and they then keyed a 20-7 lead to start the fourth to put the Pacers up 98-82 and cruised the rest of the way.
Pacers rely on size to put the game away
Because the Pacers struggled so much to shoot the ball in the first half, they pounded the ball in the middle and exploited their size advantage to put the game away. Their pressure defense also created transition opportunities and they effectively won the game in the paint.
Siakam scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter alone and finished with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting and also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists. Turner scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Forward Obi Toppin and center Thomas Bryant also added 17 points off the bench and the Pacers finished with 60 points in the paint to the 76ers' 48.
Tyrese Haliburton posts another double-double
All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton may have lost his shooting touch since returning from missing three games with a left hip flexor strain, but he still managed an eighth-straight points-assists double-double.
Haliburton made just 5-of-13 field goals including 2-of-7 3-point shots but he dished out 10 assists against just one turnover.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs 76ers: Pascal Siakam leads Indiana to win over shorthanded Sixers
-
Siakam scores 27 points and helps Pacers rally with big second half to beat the 76ers 112-100
Pascal Siakam scored 17 of his 27 points in the second half, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-100 on Friday night. Myles Turner added 18 points and seven rebounds, while ...Yahoo Sports - 7h -
Sixers add 2 more players to injury report vs. Pacers at home
The Philadelphia 76ers add 2 more injury report for their matchup with the Indiana Pacers at home on Friday.Yahoo Sports - 14h -
Haliburton's 'impossible' 4-point play lifts Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton converted a four-point play to put the Pacers up one in the final seconds of an eventual victory over the Bucks.ESPN - 2d -
Bucks vs. Pacers odds, line, prediction, time: 2025 NBA picks, March 11 best bets from proven model
SportsLine's model simulated the Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks 10,000 times and revealed its NBA picks for TuesdayCBS Sports - 3d -
Pacers vs. 76ers Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for March 14
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers Game PreviewYahoo Sports - 20h -
Player grades: Sixers battle, but end up taking loss to Pacers at home
The Philadelphia 76ers gave the Indiana Pacers a battle, but they faltered in the second half as they fell at home on Friday.Yahoo Sports - 7h -
Pacers vs. 76ers odds, line, prediction, start time: 2025 NBA picks, March 14 best bets from proven model
SportsLine's model simulated Philadelphia 76ers vs. Indiana Pacers 10,000 times and revealed its NBA picks for FridayCBS Sports - 11h -
Sixers vs. Pacers game preview: How to watch, lineups, broadcast info
The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Indiana Pacers on Friday looking to get back in the win column at home.Yahoo Sports - 21h -
Full injury report for Tyrese Maxey, Sixers vs. Pacers in return home
Here is the full injury report for Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers as they take on the Indiana Pacers in their return home on Friday.Yahoo Sports - 1d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
T-Pain hilariously vows to turn New York Giants franchise around
The New York Giants' newly signed OL James Hudson has an uncanny resemblance to T-Pain, who capitalized on their similarities with a hilarious tweet.Yahoo Sports - 25m -
F1 Australian GP LIVE: Qualifying result as Lando Norris snatches pole and Lewis Hamilton falters
Follow reaction from qualifying in Melbourne as Norris claims pole ahead of teammate Oscar PiastriYahoo Sports - 31m -
Rangers consider St Mirren's Olusanya - gossip
Rangers linked with St Mirren forward soon to be out of contract, as Everton are again credited with interest in Ibrox striker...Yahoo Sports - 32m -
Virgil van Dijk on family life, Arne Slot and uncertain Liverpool future
Interview: The Reds’ captain, whose Anfield future is unclear, opens up ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final with NewcastleYahoo Sports - 37m -
NFL insider: 'Zero chance' Cam Ward falls to No. 3 in 2025 NFL draft
One NFL insider says there is "zero chance" QB Cam Ward falls to the New York Giants at No. 3 overall in the 2025 NFL draft.Yahoo Sports - 39m
More in Sports
-
T-Pain hilariously vows to turn New York Giants franchise around
The New York Giants' newly signed OL James Hudson has an uncanny resemblance to T-Pain, who capitalized on their similarities with a hilarious tweet.Yahoo Sports - 25m -
F1 Australian GP LIVE: Qualifying result as Lando Norris snatches pole and Lewis Hamilton falters
Follow reaction from qualifying in Melbourne as Norris claims pole ahead of teammate Oscar PiastriYahoo Sports - 31m -
Rangers consider St Mirren's Olusanya - gossip
Rangers linked with St Mirren forward soon to be out of contract, as Everton are again credited with interest in Ibrox striker...Yahoo Sports - 32m -
Virgil van Dijk on family life, Arne Slot and uncertain Liverpool future
Interview: The Reds’ captain, whose Anfield future is unclear, opens up ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final with NewcastleYahoo Sports - 37m -
NFL insider: 'Zero chance' Cam Ward falls to No. 3 in 2025 NFL draft
One NFL insider says there is "zero chance" QB Cam Ward falls to the New York Giants at No. 3 overall in the 2025 NFL draft.Yahoo Sports - 39m