Short-handed Sixers fizzle in fourth quarter at Pacers for fifth consecutive loss

Gina Mizell, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jan 18, 2025

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INDIANAPOLIS — Ricky Council IV shook free for a driving dunk, cutting what had been a double-digit Pacers lead to six. But then Myles Turner took a methodical bounce pass and knocked down the elbow jumper before Ben Sheppard buried a corner 3-point shot.

Those buckets helped the Pacers finish off a 115-102 victory over the still-shorthanded Sixers on Saturday night inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

It was the fifth consecutive loss for the Sixers (15-25), who continued to play without superstar Joel Embiid. Embiid’s knee swelled up following a workout earlier this week after a sprained knee kept him sidelined for the previous six games.

All-Star Paul George (groin) also missed Saturday’s game played in the city where he began his prolific NBA career. And big man Guerschon Yabusele, who previously had been the only Sixer to play in all 39 games entering Saturday, also sat out with knee swelling.

That left the Sixers with a starting lineup including Council, Eric Gordon and a back-from-injury Andre Drummond alongside regulars Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. And other personnel groupings peppered with rookies Justin Edwards and Adem Bona.

There was even a second-quarter stretch when Drummond and Bona shared the floor.

Those unorthodox lineups largely hung around until late in the third quarter, when the Pacers finished the period on a 10-4 spurt to lead, 89-80, entering the fourth. That Indiana advantage stretched to 101-85 on a Pascal Siakam (21 points, eight rebounds, five assists) bucket with less than nine minutes to play. The Sixers got to within six when Maxey buried a 3-pointer with less than five minutes remaining, but Siakam answered with a putback on the opposite end.

Bona was the surprise offensive contributor for the Sixers, going 5 of 5 from the floor for 12 first-half points, while also pulling down six rebounds and igniting the bench with three rim-rocking dunks. Maxey finished with 28 points, while Oubre added 18 points and eight rebounds and Council totaled 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Indiana built multiple 11-point advantages in the second quarter, including when All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton (nine points, nine assists) found Siakam for a dunk that made the score 59-48 with just 2 minutes, and 12 seconds remaining before the break. But the Sixers closed the half on a 15-4 run — including two Maxey finishes on a fast break and a Bona dunk in the final minute — to trim the lead to 61-59.

The Sixers then scored the first seven points of the third quarter, capped by a Drummond transition dunk to give them a 66-61 lead. But Indiana would answer, re-taking a 70-68 lead on an Andrew Nembhard corner 3-pointer and extending it to 79-71 on two Turner free throws at the 5:28 mark.

The Sixers hope to find a reprieve as they continue this three-game road trip on Sunday at the Milwaukee Bucks, before playing at the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.