On a rare night without Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers faced off against the Indiana Pacers on a cold Philadelphia night. Maxey, the team's MVP through the first quarter of the season, was out with an illness, but Joel Embiid reminded everyone that some embers still burned within the city's symbol of peace.
With a vintage 39-point performance, Embiid led the way for the team, which has been on a bit of a defensive run of late as Embiid and Paul George continue to play consistent minutes.
The Sixers particularly did well to bottle up Benedict Mathurin, who had been averaging 21.5 points per game coming into the night. Indiana's young scoring wing faced a number of defenders from Paul George to Dominick Barlow to Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe at times, but was unable to get anything consistently going against Philadelphia's defense.
The Sixers would maintain a slight advantage in the first and second quarters, before the third quarter reared its ugly head once more. While the scoring difference wasn't, as the Pacers only managed five more points than the Sixers in the third, it was enough to make this a brand new game heading into the fourth quarter, where thankfully, Philadelphia was able to ratchet up their defense even further when it mattered most.
Down the stretch, the Sixers' defense came to life, suffocating the Pacers for nearly half the quarter, holding them without a field goal and to just two points. That defensive performance, compounded by some clutch buckets by every Sixer from Embiid to Barlow, led to a 115-105 victory for Philadelphia.
Impressive performances by VJ Edgecombe (22 points) and Paul George (23 points) were crucial to this win, but it was Joel Embiid who paced the Sixers in scoring with his 39 points, also adding nine rebounds, three assists and some of the most impressive athletic and defensive play he's displayed this season.
Embiid's night was perfectly summarized in a play made with just under three minutes left, as he battled fellow Cameroonian Pascal Siakam for an offensive rebound, putting the shot up and sinking it through contact.
There's been a lot of conversation around what Joel Embiid can and should be at this point in his career, but above all, Embiid must battle in the game's most important moments; something he's been rightfully criticized for at times this season as he works his way back, but something he certainly delivered on tonight.
Philadelphia will next take the court down in Atlanta for a matchup against the Hawks. In their last matchup, the teams went to double overtime, with Atlanta winning in a thriller.
Sunday will give Philadelphia the opportunity for revenge. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
