Sixers edge Pacers in OT
PHILADELPHIA -- Rookie center Joel Embiid scored a season-high 25 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 55.1 seconds left in overtime, as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 109-105 on Friday night, the Sixers' first victory of the season.
Ersan Ilyasova added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia (1-7), which was the NBA's last winless team. The Sixers also snapped a string of 44 straight October/November defeats dating to a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 22, 2013.
In addition, Philadelphia claimed a split of a home-and-home set with Indiana. The Pacers beat the Sixers 122-115, also in overtime, on Wednesday night.
Nik Stauskas also scored 14 points for the Sixers, and Richaun Holmes collected eight points and 12 rebounds.
Paul George scored 26 points to top Indiana and Monta Ellis added 19.
George, who sprained his left thumb in the first half, hit a jumper with 1:12 left in overtime to give the Pacers a 105-104 lead, but on the Sixers' next possession, Embiid powered to the basket to score from the left block as he was fouled by Lavoy Allen. His free throw gave Philadelphia a 107-105 lead.
George missed on Indiana's next trip. Embiid also came up short on a jumper but recovered the loose ball and was fouled by C.J. Miles. He connected twice at the line.
Philadelphia, down 90-84 with 5:22 left in regulation, rattled off 16 of the next 21 points, nine of those by Embiid, to go up 100-95 with 25.4 seconds remaining. Ilyasova also contributed a four-point play to that flurry.
Jeff Teague's three-point play with 22 seconds left sliced Indiana's deficit to two, and Teague then stole the ball from Sergio Rodriguez. George, fouled by Gerald Henderson, made two free throws with 2.8 seconds to go, knotting the score 100-100.
George sprained a thumb late in the first quarter but returned at the end of a 23-8 Indiana run early in the second. Ellis notched six points in that flurry, which enabled the Pacers to go up 43-29.
Philadelphia scored 22 of the half's 31 points to cut the gap to 52-51. Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell, Rodriguez and Stauskas all drilled 3-pointers during that stretch.
Miles led the Pacers with nine first-half points, and Ilyasova and Henderson paced the Sixers with eight.
Stauskas crammed 10 of his points into the final 4:20 of the third quarter, helping Philadelphia move from a one-point deficit to a 76-69 lead. George answered with 11 in the final 3:07, including a 3-pointer from the top of the circle with 0.7 of a second left to trim the Sixers' lead to 76-72.
NOTES: Philadelphia C Joel Embiid, who did not play in Wednesday's overtime loss to Indiana, is also expected to be held out of Saturday's game in Atlanta. Embiid, who missed two seasons following a pair of foot surgeries, will continue to be limited to 24 minutes a game until at least Christmas. ... Sixers C Jahlil Okafor, recovering from knee surgery, is on the same minutes restriction as Embiid. "Sports science has a significant, significant voice that I listen to," coach Brett Brown said, "because it's borne out of a lot of smart people that synthesize notes, come and deliver a thoughtful plan that ultimately has the player's health most at the forefront. As a coach, it is challenging, it is frustrating but it is just the realities of this team." ... Indiana's bench began the night averaging 33.4 points a game, 21st in the NBA. "We're searching to really get an identity with our bench," coach Nate McMillan said.