Pacers at 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have to earn a win sooner or later, and the young team keeps making strides in the right direction. The 76ers will give it another shot when they host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Philadelphia trailed by as much as 19 points early in the second quarter against Dallas on Monday and battled all the way back to take the lead in the final minutes before ultimately falling 92-86. The setback marked the 21st loss in a row for the franchise dating back to last season, but the 76ers still found some positives. “I’m thrilled with our defense,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown told reporters. “I think there’s a toughness we’re showing. There is an attitude where we’re not going away.” The Pacers had a comeback fall just short on Monday as well but still own six wins in the last eight games.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, CSN Philadelphia
ABOUT THE PACERS (6-5): Indiana forward Paul George had a shot to win it on Monday that missed the mark, but he did manage to post his seventh straight game with at least 26 points. The former All-Star is looking like an MVP candidate again after missing the majority of last season with a broken leg and is shooting 51.1 percent from 3-point range over the last seven games. "I have confidence in myself that this is the level I should be playing at regardless against which team or who is guarding me,” George told reporters. “It is my job to help lead this team to a win.”
ABOUT THE 76ERS (0-11): Philadelphia is hurting itself at the offensive end and committed 27 turnovers in Monday’s loss, leading Brown to tell reporters: "You're not going to win any basketball games with 27 turnovers." Frontcourt pillars Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor each recorded a double-double in the loss while rookie point guard T.J. McConnell collected 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Those three also led the team in minutes played and are gaining valuable experience the front office hopes will eventually lead to wins in the future.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers have taken seven of the last eight in the series.
2. Philadelphia G Nik Stauskas is 0-of-10 from the field in the last two games.
3. Indiana Gs Rodney Stuckey (ankle) and George Hill (illness) are both questionable for Wednesday.