Observations after Maxey nabs career-high 8 steals in Sixers' win over Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers worked through some shaky patches and handled business Monday night against the Pacers.
They notched a 113-104 win at Xfinity Mobile Arena to improve to 23-18 on the season. Indiana fell to 10-34.
Newly minted All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey had 29 points, eight assists and a whopping eight steals, setting a new career high.
Joel Embiid posted 30 points and nine rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 points.
Pacers star Pascal Siakam tallied 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Andrew Nembhard scored 25 points.
Paul George (left knee injury management) sat for the Sixers on the first night of a back-to-back. The team will host the Suns on Tuesday.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ victory over the Pacers:
Turnovers fuel Sixers again
Oubre slotted into the Sixers’ starting lineup for George. He began brightly, scoring the night’s first four points on a couple of driving layups.
Embiid soon settled into an excellent mid-range rhythm and started 5 for 5 from the floor. He drained a Dirk Nowitzki-style one-legged fadeaway over Nembhard and then hit a face-up jumper on Jay Huff.
Dominick Barlow brought his usual hustle in his first stint, including two offensive rebounds and two steals. A coast-to-coast Barlow layup put the Sixers up 22-19.
Maxey also picked two steals in the first quarter. As was the case in their loss Wednesday to the Cavs, much of the Sixers’ early success stemmed from forced turnovers. They scored the game’s first 13 points off turnovers and the first 13 fast-break points.
Woes without the stars
The Sixers’ half-court offense was rough early in the second quarter without Maxey and Embiid.
Head coach Nick Nurse turned to a bench-heavy lineup with no conventional point guard. The Sixers did not outperform that on-paper description.
Trendon Watford missed two free throws and three close-range shots in his opening stint. Quentin Grimes got little reward for his aggression, going 1 for 5 from the floor in the first half. VJ Edgecombe was largely a spectator. The rookie only took four field goals in 20 first-half minutes and was scoreless until he made a free throw with 1:55 left in the second quarter.
The offensive struggles continued once the Sixers’ stars re-entered. The team remained cold beyond the arc (2 for 10 from three-point range in the first half) and the Pacers’ bench played very well. Former Sixers center Tony Bradley gave Indiana good minutes and helped the Pacers build a lead as high as 10 points in the second quarter.
Maxey at ball-hunting best
The Sixers’ starters regained the lead in the third quarter. Edgecombe laid in his own miss to lift his team to a 63-62 edge.
Edgecombe was far more involved in the Sixers’ offense in the third quarter, often bringing the ball up, running two-man actions with Embiid, and finding opportunities to drive downhill. The highlight of the third period came when he jammed in a giant one-handed, and-one dunk on Bradley.
The Sixers still did not dramatically improve their shooting night. The team was subpar from both three-point range (29.4 percent) and at the foul line (66.7 percent).
Siakam’s corner three gave the Pacers an 88-86 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Sixers replied with a 7-0 run capped by Maxey swiping a steal, surging ahead and ultimately knocking down two free throws.
The Pacers’ sloppiness was a problem throughout the game — the final points off turnovers margin was 28-7 — and Maxey was at his ball-hunting best. On top of the possession, his steals tend to carry extra weight because of the strong odds that he profits in transition. There’s sometimes a fine line between sniffing out steals and playing sound defense, but Maxey is generally the kind of player who should have the green light and he’s made great progress defensively overall the last several years.
Led by Maxey and Embiid, the Sixers pulled away and avoided any tension in the final minutes. They’ll look for a 2-0 start to their week Tuesday night vs. the Suns.