The Philadelphia 76ers conclude a three-game homestand with a Sunday matinee against the Indiana Pacers who enter off consecutive victories for the first time this season.
Despite playing without LeBron James on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, the Sixers rebounded from their loss Tuesday to the Boston Celtics with a 123-112 victory.
Tyrese Maxey’s 27 points led six Philadelphia players in double figures, while Anfernee Simons came off the bench to add 17. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 11 points and five assists, while his defensive presence continued what Maxey said has been a vital part of the bench player’s contributions.
“His defense, his communication, his availability; he’s been in there every, single night,” Maxey said. “He’s been great for us.”
Maxey’s output against Toronto continued his team-leading pace of 26.7 points per game. Maxey’s efforts also improved Philadelphia to 10 wins on the season, tied with Boston for most in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana comes into Sunday’s contest on the wrong side of .500 at 5-8 but finally has a little bit of momentum.
The Pacers lost seven of their previous eight games before wins over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday and Friday’s 106-104 victory over the New York Knicks in NBA Cup group-stage play.
Indiana went on a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter of Friday’s contest against the reigning NBA champion Knicks, then weathered a late-game rally for the win. Pascal Siakam’s 19 points led a balanced effort for the Pacers.
“Everything’s progressing,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve really worked at addressing weaknesses. We had some very pronounced weaknesses last year, and we’re doing way better in those areas.”
After advancing to the 2025 NBA Finals and forcing a Game 7 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pacers sputtered to a dismal 19-63 finish in 2025-26. Indiana spent the campaign without All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the result of an Achilles injury sustained in the Finals.
Haliburton has appeared in four games this season, but has been sidelined ever since with a hamstring injury.
Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell, manning point-guard duties with Haliburton out, played key roles in Friday’s win. Nembhard scored 12 points and had six assists, while McConnell provided seven assists and a pair of steals off the bench.
“(The team has) taken (defense) to the next level, and I think you’ve seen that the last few games,” McConnell said.
Indiana will try to maintain its recent defensive intensity after two of its three lowest-scoring yields of the season. Philadelphia has been solid on defense all season, ranking eighth entering Saturday’s games with 109.4 points allowed.
Five Sixers players are generating at least 1.2 steals per contest, led by second-year wing VJ Edgecombe’s 1.7.
Edgecombe heads into Sunday’s matchup off one of his best statistical performances of the season, scoring 15 points against Toronto with eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
“I trust the team, and they trust me to make plays,” Edgecombe said.
–Field Level Media
