The 76ers got it within three points late in the fourth quarter Friday night against the Indiana. In the “Together We Build” era, that actually is a heck of an accomplishment. In the post-Evan Turner chapter of the “Together We Build” era, well, it’s frankly the brightest spot they’ve had. Seriously—if you’re not up to speed in the NBA this season, the Pacers came into the game 32 games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings.
First things first: Andrew Bynum did not play—yet the Pacers still won. They handed the Sixers their 19th consecutive loss and added to their franchise losing streak of 15 games without a victory at home, 101-94.
The team played its cleanest games in months. They committed only 10 turnovers and played solid defense throughout the contest. Philadelphia had nearly twice the amount of steals, finishing with 13.
It was not until Indiana used a 7-0 run to jump ahead for good, as the Sixers missed six straight shots. Still, they admirably finished only seven points separated from the league’s best team.
Thaddeus Young finished with 25 points to lead the Sixers, adding ten assists to make for a double-double. Michael Carter-Williams played a solid game as well, nearly having his second triple-double of the week. The consensus pick for NBA Rookie of the Year finished with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists.
Byron Mullens played a solid game as well, and was an asset on the perimeter, having his three-point shot going. He matched a season high with three trey’s, as the big man contributed 15 points off the bench.
Indiana was led by their MVP candidate, Paul George. He had 25 points and scored when it counted. George had four big points, including a driving lay-up to get Indiana back on track, during their late fourth quarter run. Lance Stephenson had a double-double, 13 points and 12 rebounds.
In his homecoming, former Sixer Evan Turner played 21 minutes but finished with just two points. Ironically, LaVoy Allen had arguably his best game of the season, finishing with 13 points off the bench, matching a season high.
During the game, the 76ers organization paid a tribute to Turner's tenure with the team. Below is the video montage they played in the 1st quarter, courtesy of Jake Fischer.
