Horrid second-half shooting leads to blown opportunity to clinch Eastern Conference top seed | Sixers-Pacers best/worst
The Sixers hit just 13 of 44 shots, including going 2-for-14 on three-pointers, in the second half.
INDIANAPOLIS — Oh well.
The 76ers stepped into the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday night expecting to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Sixers, however, left the arena searching for an offense that went missing after intermission.
That’s when they shot just 29.5% from the field during a 103-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Here are the best and worst awards from the game:
Best performance
Caris LeVert gets this. The guard paced Indiana with 24 points, 11 coming in the final quarter. He took over the game down the stretch, scoring nine of the Pacers’ final 11 points.
Worst performance
Danny Green gets this. But it could have easily gone to his teammate Mike Scott. The Sixers duo struggled to make shots. Green gets it for missing seven of nine attempts en route to scoring only six points.
Best defensive performance
This goes to Oshae Brissett. The Pacers forward had a game-high three steals and blocked one shot.
Best statistic
This goes to Damontas Sabonis’ career-high 15 assists for the Pacers. It was the most by an NBA player Tuesday night.
Worst statistic
This goes to the Sixers’ shooting 29.5% in the second half. They made just 13 of 44 shots, including going 2-for-14 on three-pointers. Green (0-4), Scott (0-3) and Seth Curry (0-4) combined to shoot 0-for-11 after intermission.
» READ MORE: Sixers lose to Pacers, gain no ground in bid to clinch top seed
Worst of the worst
This goes to the Sixers squandering an opportunity to clinch the conference’s No. 1 seed with three games remaining. Some will point out that league MVP candidate Joel Embiid and reserves Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz didn’t play.
However, the Pacers were without Malcolm Brogdon (sore right hamstring), Aaron Holiday (sprained toe), Jeremy Lamb (sore left knee), Edmond Sumner (left knee contusion), Myles Turner (partial plantar plate tear, right toe), and T.J. Warren (stress fracture in left foot).
Brogdon, Turner, and Warren are all starters. Lamb is the sixth man, while Holiday is a key reserve.
Indiana also played its second game in as many nights, while the Sixers were off Sunday and had a light practice Monday. So they were more rested than the Pacers.