Sixers-Pacers Postgame Recap
HO HO DARIO!! Finally the Sixers Power Forward showed up and contributed to a Sixers team that needed him to be the guy. The Sixers went into Indiana and picked up their first road win of the season 100-94. In a ga
me the Sixers needed to win, they received key contributions from Dario Saric and Robert Covington down the stretch.
In the first quarter, the Sixers did what they haven’t been doing on the road, and burst out to a 13-2 lead. Through the first 5 minutes, the Sixers were clicking and generating easy baskets through the lane, by forcing the Pacers to rotate and generate space in the lane. Although the Sixers began slow from 3 shooting 1-6 they turned it on later in the game.
In the second quarter, The Sixers went ice cold and were outscored 27-21. Victor Oladipo was all over the stat sheet and frequently made the Sixers pay for costly turnovers. The second frame saw the Sixers rushing contested jumpers early in possessions and create virtually no spacing.
At the beginning of the second half the Sixers needed guys not named Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to step up. Robert Covington who was 0-1 in the first half, was particularly important in the second, shooting 5-8 from the field, including 2-5 from 3. Covington added two blocks and two steals in the contest, continuing to show why he deserved First Team All-Defense last season.
FINALLY, Dario Saric had his first good game of the season. Dario scored 18 points on 6-13 shooting from the field, but shot a whopping 4-6 from beyond the arc. Coming into the game Dario’s shots were ridiculously flat, but tonight he showed life in his legs. Every shot Dario took tonight looked better than any he had taken so far this season.
Joel Embiid continues to have a monster season, recording his 11th double-double in the 12th game of the season. He was much better in the first half shooting 5-8 compared to 2-8 in the second half, but his impact on the floor is much deeper than scoring and rebounding. Just having Joel on the floor forced Indiana provide extra help on him, thus opening up space for Sixers role players.
The Sixers are back in action Friday to take on the Charlotte Hornets. The Sixers defeated Charlotte in the first meeting of the season two weeks ago in Philadelphia 105-103.
