Grades From Sixers’ Comeback Win Over Pacers

By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor

The Sixers have had their struggles this season playing without Joel Embiid, but that would not be the case against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. After an incredible performance in the fourth quarter, the Sixers would complete a 20 point comeback and beat the Pacers 119-110.

Here are some grades from the Sixers' hard-fought victory.

Doc Rivers: A+

Before diving into the players, some credit needs to be given to the coach. There have been a couple of games this season that could be said the Sixers don't win in previous seasons, and this win sits at the top of that list.

Doc Rivers deserves a lot of credit for rallying the team and not letting them roll over after going down big. Wins like this show just how big of an addition Rivers has been to this organization.

In-game adjustments are another reason why Rivers gets an A+ for this game. Dropping the defense into a zone in the final quarter would be a crucial adjustment that would eventually lead to a win. The Pacers had no answer for the zone, and the Sixers would go on a 21-6 run as a result of that.

All in all great job from Rivers to keep morale high and put this team in a position to come away with a win.

Ben Simmons: A+

Without Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers we need to find scoring from other areas. Ben Simmons would take it upon himself to lead the charge for the Sixers, turning in arguably his best performance of the season in the process. 

Simmons would end the night with 21 points, six rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks. He would also shoot an efficient 9-12 from the floor. 

Many people like to zero in on Simmons during games when Embiid doesn't play, but there weren't many bad things to say about him in this one. He and Tobias Harris did a great job keeping the Sixers in the game until the second unit came alive late in the third quarter. 

Tobias Harris: A

Tobias Harris would continue his all-star campaign against the Pacers by turning in another great performance. He would end the game as the Sixers' leading scorer with 27 points, and also came down with eight rebounds. 

Harris' play would stand out in the fourth quarter as he would knock down some big shots late to help complete the comeback. 10 of his 27 points would come in the final quarter while hitting four of his five shot attempts. 

There is no denying how crucial Harris has been to the Sixers' success this season. At this point, it will be tough to deny him the first all-star selection of his career. 

Furkan Korkmaz: B+

Another player who was huge for the Sixers down the stretch was Furkan Korkmaz. He would hit multiple shots in the fourth quarter en route to being the team's top scorer off the bench.

Korkmaz would score a season-high 17 points against Indiana, with 11 of those points coming in the final 12 minutes. Along with his offense, he would also provide serviceable defense in the zone. 

This was a much-needed game for Korkmaz, who is still fresh off his return from injury. Putting on a late-game performance like this should be a nice confidence boost moving forward. 

Matisse Thybulle: B+

Matisse Thybulle would still have his struggles offensively, but his play defensively was a crucial piece to the Sixers overcoming their deficit on Sunday night. During his college career, Thybulle almost exclusively played in a zone defense, and he reminded everyone in this game.

After the game, Doc Rivers would say that Thybulle had 11 deflections in the fourth quarter alone. Along with all those deflections, he would also grab all four of his steals in the final quarter. 

The zone would not have been as effective as it was if it wasn't for Thybulle. His play at the top was incredible, being everywhere on the perimeter and frustrating Pacers' players. 

Thybulle's impact on the defensive end has been huge in recent games for the Sixers. If he can continue to figure out his game offensively, he will be an important piece for the team down the line. 

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