FILE – Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after a foul during the first half during action against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 10, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. Todd Kirkland/Getty Images/AFP
Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points apiece as the Philadelphia 76ers won their eighth straight game, beating the short-handed Indiana Pacers 141-121 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Embiid contributed seven rebounds and seven assists, Tobias Harris scored 24 points and De’Anthony Melton had 14 points and six steals for Philadelphia (48-22), which completed a four-game season series sweep of the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith led Indiana (32-39) with a career-high 25 points. Andrew Nembhard scored 22 points, Myles Turner added 20, and Buddy Hield, Jordan Nwora and Jalen Smith had 13 apiece for the Pacers, who lost despite shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
Joel Embiid is the first player in Sixers history to drop 30+ points in 9 straight games.
Tonight: 31 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST 🔥
Sixers have won 8 straight. pic.twitter.com/B5aXEKQcUO
— NBA (@NBA) March 19, 2023
Philadelphia shot 61.4 percent from the field and 15 of 35 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Embiid has scored at least 30 points in nine straight games for the Sixers, who have won six consecutive road games.
Indiana jumped to a 12-4 lead, but Philadelphia answered with a 14-0 run and never looked back. Melton closed the first quarter with a steal and a fast-break dunk to put the Sixers ahead 34-24.
Maxey had 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting to give Philadelphia a 72-61 lead at the half. Embiid scored 15 for the Sixers, who shot 64 percent from the field and 8 of 18 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range.
Georges Niang and Paul Reed finished with 10 points apiece for Philadelphia, which led by 17 late in the third quarter before the Pacers scored nine of the final 12 points to pull within 106-95.
The Sixers stretched their lead to 125-105 on Maxey’s trey with 7:14 remaining and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter. Maxey was 12 of 18 from the field and 5 of 9 from 3-point range.
Indiana played without Tyrese Haliburton (right ankle sprain), Chris Duarte (left ankle soreness) and Bennedict Mathurin (right ankle sprain).
The Sixers were without starters James Harden (injury recovery) and P.J. Tucker (ankle soreness). Jalen McDaniels returned following a two-game absence and scored seven points in 16 minutes.