The Sixers knocked off the Indiana Pacers 131-124 Sunday afternoon, a wild win made even crazier because they did it all without Joel Embiid. And if that wasn’t enough, LeBron James had a monumental day, moving up to third in the league’s all-time assist leaders! What a performance to get a Sunday win on the books.
The Show Must Go On: Stars Deliver
Jaylen Brown absolutely powered the Sixers, dropping 31 points on an incredible 12-of-18 shooting from the floor, plus three rebounds. This guy just had a good jump shooting quarter, putting up 11 in the first alone. He wasn’t having a hard time getting to his pull-up spots and was just knocking them down whether there was a hand in his face or not. Tyrese Maxey, meanwhile, quietly put up 27 points and six assists, shooting 9-of-19 from the field. Maxey actually got the Sixers on the board running quick after the Pacers’ miss. He and Brown accounted for Philly’s first 15 points of the game, setting the tone. A lot of what Maxey got early was thanks to LeBron zipping the ball around the perimeter, giving Maxey plenty of space for his first two three-pointers. Speaking of LeBron, beyond that massive assist record, he had a tremendous day sharing the rock with 11 assists, plus 15 points and six rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting. He even found Maxey up ahead for a transition bucket, getting his first points. VJ Edgecombe also bounced back big from a scoreless first half to end with 11 points, four rebounds, and six assists on 5-of-11 shooting.
First Quarter Frenzy
The Sixers moved the ball super well on their opening possession. Maxey got wide open on a cut, but he smoked the bunny. It looked like he might not have corralled the bounce pass from LeBron, but he quickly made up for it. On the other end, the Pacers weren’t messing around either. Pascal Siakam led them with 31 points, and all five of their starters scored within the first six minutes of the game, starting 11-of-19 from the floor. They were already taking advantage of the smaller Sixers squad, racking up nine early second-chance points on four offensive rebounds. Plus, Kelly Oubre Jr. was back in Philly for the first time since signing with the Pacers and got off to a good start, scoring seven in the first against his old team on a couple of sharp cuts. Old friend T.J. McConnell was also out there for the Pacers.
Missing In Action
This win is even more impressive when you look at who was sitting out for the Sixers. Joel Embiid was sidelined for plantar fascia management in his right foot, along with Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow. The Pacers were also dealing with key absences, missing Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Ben Sheppard. Both teams were shorthanded, but the Sixers found a way to grind out the victory.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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