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Pacers 99, 76ers 90
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
INDIANAPOLIS — Guard Lance Stephenson scored 25 points and forward Paul George added 24, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 99-90 victory over the upset-minded Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The loss was the Sixers’ 21st in a row, setting a club record. They are five short of the NBA record of 26 consecutive losses set by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stephenson scored 19 points in the first half and led the Pacers (50-17) in scoring for the first time in nearly two months.
Forward Thaddeus Young led the Sixers (15-52), scoring 17 of his 23 points in the second half. Guards Hollis Thompson and Tony Wroten each added 17 points. Guard Michael Carter-Williams had 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Indiana forward David West scored just seven points, but was a monster on the boards. He had a team-high 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Sixers have not won since Jan. 29, when Evan Turner, now a Pacer, scored the game-winning basket in a 95-94 win over Boston.
Just when the upset-minded Sixers were getting a little too close in the fourth quarter, Stephenson buried a 3-pointer with 5:10 left to put the Pacers in front 88-81.
If the Pacers were looking for an easy night from the league’s worst team, the Sixers weren’t accommodating. Led by Thompson and Carter-Williams, who each scored 11 points in the first half, Philadelphia led for all of the opening quarter except for a game-opening basket by Stephenson.
A 3-pointer by Young put the Pacers down by nine points, 15-6, less than five minutes in. The Pacers answered quickly, especially Stephenson who scored 19 points in the first half on 7-of-9 shooting.
Things began to unravel for the Sixers in the final two minutes of the second quarter. After Hill hit a 3-pointer and George scored on a fast-break slam, Philadelphia center Byron Mullens was whistled for a technical foul following a foul called on Wroten. That series of events, along with a delay of game warning on the Sixers, resulted in an eight-point halftime deficit, 58-50.
NOTES: Pacers C Andrew Bynum was kept out of Monday’s game due to a sore knee. Since making his Pacers debut March 11, Bynum has played every other game but not in consecutive games. “This is what we signed up for,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We know he’s a great player with some problem-area knees. He’s going to be in some times, he’s going to be out some times.” … Pacers G/F Evan Turner, a former Sixer, had made more than half his shots in his previous five games. … Sixers G James Nunnally, a D-League All-Star who was signed to a 10-day contract Monday, made his Sixers debut in the opening quarter. PG Eric Maynor was waived Sunday to make room for Nunnally, although Maynor was mistakenly listed as an active player on the Sixers official roster, which is signed by the head coach and distributed prior to the game. … Sixers G Tony Wroten is being used at both guard positions by coach Brett Brown. He had his 14th start of the season.
