The Philadelphia 76ers are a team with championship aspirations, but their last two losses have left a lot of questions. The Sixers did not respond well to the physicality presented by the Orlando Magic to begin the road trip and then they committed plenty of errors down the stretch in a bizarre loss to the Miami Heat on Saturday.
They head to Indianapolis on New Year’s Eve to face the Indiana Pacers as they look to continue this journey and grow as a group. Indiana is one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and they play well at home so this will be another challenge for this Sixers team as they continue their road trip.
With that said, it’s now time for the guide to the final game of the decade:
How to watch Sixers vs. Pacers
- Date: Tuesday, December 31
- Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Injury Report
- Sixers: OUT: Matisse Thybulle(right knee sprain)
- Pacers: PROBABLE: Malcolm Brogdon(sore left hamstring) QUESTIONABLE: Edmond Sumner(sore right knee) OUT: Victor Oladipo(right knee surgery rehab), Naz Mitrou-Long(right ankle sprain)
Storylines
Finding a consistent energy level
The Sixers did not show up until it was too late in Orlando on Friday as they found themselves having to play desperation basketball as they came close to pulling off the comeback before falling short. In Miami, they had a lead and then had a bad stretch in the third quarter, they then responded, but then they blew it late. Philadelphia needs to find a more consistent level of effort and continue to play for 48 minutes.
“If we want to be a championship team, we can’t be picky and choosy when we want to play with that kind of intensity,” Trey Burke added. “I’m sure these last few losses sting, but we’ll watch film and grow from it.”
Embiid accepts responsibility
The main culprit of Saturday’s loss was Joel Embiid. As terrific as he was for the large majority of the game, Embiid committed a very bad turnover late that led to Heat rookie Tyler Herro drilling a clutch triple late to give Miami the lead. Philadelphia responded to force overtime before ultimately falling short. Embiid stepped up and accepted responsibility for his miscues.
“It starts with me,” said Embiid. “I turned the ball over. I could have done much better than I did.”
Prediction
Indiana is no pushover. Despite not having Victor Oladipo, they play good defense, they move the ball, and they play hard for the full 48 minutes. This will be a good challenge for a Sixers team still really trying to find their way. After the two losses to begin the road trip, this will be a game where they need to make sure they buckle down and get a win. It will be a nice challenge for this team.
Pick: Going out on a limb and picking the Sixers
Sixers vs. Pacers season series
Game 1 November 30: 119-116 Sixers
Game 2 December 31:
Game 3 January 13:
Game 4 March 14:
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