76ers at Pacers
Most would expect the Indiana Pacers to take care of the visiting Philadelphia 76ers with ease Saturday night, but the 76ers haven't shown much respect for expectations. A night after snapping a four-game skid with a stirring comeback against Milwaukee, Philadelphia will try to continue its surprising start by shocking Indiana. The Pacers are hardly the struggling Bucks, though, as they own the league's best record and are 6-0 at home.
If the Pacers have a fault it's a propensity to fall behind early - they have trailed at halftime in nine of 12 games, including Friday's 97-82 win at Boston. "We need to stop that," Indiana guard Lance Stephenson told the team's website. "I think we need to come out and destroy teams early." The Sixers won the last two meetings last season but haven't won three straight against the Pacers since a five-game stretch from 2004 to 2005.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE 76ERS (6-8): Philadelphia continues to overachieve as rookie Michael Carter-Williams has been an immediate hit and center Spencer Hawes continues to blossom. Leading scorer Evan Turner (21.7 points) got back on track Friday and carried the Sixers in overtime after Hawes hit three 3-pointers down the stretch. Hawes (16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds) already has nine double-doubles - he didn't record his ninth until the Sixers' 58th game last season.
ABOUT THE PACERS (11-1): Indiana is known for its defense, but all five starters average double-digit scoring with Paul George (24.6) leading the way. Stephenson continues to develop into one of the league's top, young guards and recorded his second triple-double of the season Friday. The Pacers need more production from the bench, and forward Luis Scola provided it with a season-high 17 points against the Celtics.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Philadelphia PF Thaddeus Young has missed two straight games while dealing with a death in the family, and the 76ers are unsure when he will return.
2. Stephenson needs 14 points to reach 1,000 in his career.
3. 76ers G Tony Wroten left Friday's game with a lower back strain and is not expected to play against the Pacers.