Top 5 Winners and Losers from Sixers/Pacers

What a solid win for the Philadelphia 76ers. Before the game, the Sixers were winless without Joel Embiid on the court. With solid showings from some of the Sixers best stars tonight, they were able to crawl back from the depths of a 20 point deficit to win in regulation. 

Winners

1. Tobias Harris continues to be a scoring force for the Sixers. Outside of a bad turnover or two, Tobi looked solid on both ends. He was crucial in the fourth when the Sixers needed someone to keep the lead. 
2. Ben Simmons! Ben had his highest point total of the season. With a statline of 21/6/7/4/2, Simmons made his impact felt. He consistently has had great games against the Pacers. Doc Rivers used a lot more on ball screens for Ben than he usually gets and that’s an idea that I want the Sixers to explore more. We all know Simmons passing ability is great, now imagine high pick rolls with a solid mid range from Ben. A guy can dream eh ? Now let’s hope this continues throughout the season so Ben can be a 3 time All-Star 5 years into his career. 
3. Matisse Thybulle provided a great burst off the bench for the Sixers defensively. His long arms and great wingspan produced timely steals and blocks. Thybulle gives so much effort defensively, the next step now is just becoming an average 3 point shooter. 
4. Furkan Korkmaz is one of the weirdest and probably most exciting Sixer when he’s hot. He wasn’t horrible defensively and provided solid offense down the stretch. This is a Furkan Korkmaz stan article ! 
5. Dwight Howard was forcing fouls and grabbing rebounds at an insane rate. Though he went 5/12 from the line, he was playing very well on the offensive glass and making his presence known defensively. Dwight no doubt has his shortcomings, but this was one of his best games as a Sixer tonight.

Honorable Mention: Doc Rivers has really had an insane level impact so far in the season. Undoubtedly, this would’ve been a game that a Brett Brown coached team would’ve lost. Rivers adjusted and switched the Sixers to a 2-3 zone at the end which gave the Pacers fits! I cannot stress enough how refreshing it is to see IN GAME(!) adjustments to provide Philadelphia the victory. 

Losers

1. The Indiana Pacers! The Pacers looked like the 2019 Sixers, blowing a big lead in the fourth and ultimately losing the game. Despite Malcolm Brogdon’s best efforts, the Pacers had 17(!) turnovers, much more than their average. 
2. Danny Green is not what he used to be defensively. He constantly gets beat off the dribble for easy layups, even when Joel’s out there. He still has quick hands and knows how to space on the offensive end but his on-ball defense is inconsistent. The Sixers should look to trade the veteran for more perimeter scoring in my opinion. 
3. Tony Bradley was….. something to watch. Domantas Sabonis owned him defensively and offensively outside of easy hooks, Bradley just gives you nothing. At least Dwight Howard is a lob threat along with being a putback monster. 
4. Seth Curry was 3/9 from the field and shot 25% from three tonight. He struggled a bit hitting open shots that Ben provided and never really got going. Besides a couple solid mid range buckets in the second half, Seth was a non factor tonight. 
5. The Sixers, kinda. Though Philly won the game and showed grit, you would like them not to have to climb out of a 20 point deficit on the road. The defense through 3.5 quarters was subpar to say the least. A sneaky team in Charlotte, on Wednesday could give the Sixers problems if they play like this again.