Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 50 points and Joel Embiid collected 37 points and 13 rebounds to fuel the host Philadelphia 76ers to a 137-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Maxey made 20 of 32 shots from the floor — including 7 of 11 from 3-point range — to send the 76ers to their eighth straight victory. His point total eclipsed his previous career high of 44, set during Philadelphia’s 112-90 win over Toronto on Oct. 28, 2022.
Maxey capped his scoring onslaught with a step-back 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. He finished with seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks on the night.
Embiid highlighted his seventh straight double-double by scoring 19 points in the first quarter. The reigning NBA MVP finished 12 of 26 from the floor and 12 of 14 from the foul line.
Tobias Harris recorded 18 points and nine rebounds and De’Anthony Melton added 10 points. Nicolas Batum contributed nine points and seven rebounds while making the start for Kelly Oubre Jr., who sustained a fractured rib after being hit by a car on Saturday.
Philadelphia shot 50.5 percent from the floor (53 of 105) and held a sizable 54-32 edge in rebounds.
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton notched his eighth double-double in nine games after totaling 25 points and 17 assists. Myles Turner had 22 points and Buddy Hield added 16 off the bench for the Pacers, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.
Indiana overcame an early 19-point deficit and seized a one-point lead at 105-104 after Aaron Nesmith made a layup with 10:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia responded with an 18-6 run, highlighted by 3-pointers from Patrick Beverley, Maxey and Danuel House Jr.
Embiid erupted for his 19 points on a 6-of-8 shooting performance from the floor and a 7-of-8 effort from the foul line to stake Philadelphia to a 38-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Maxey stepped up in the second quarter, contributing 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor to help the 76ers seize a 69-60 lead at intermission.
Indiana trimmed its deficit to one at 100-99 at the end of three quarters. Nesmith and Jalen Smith each sank a 3-pointer before the latter added an interior bucket to close out an 8-0 run.
–Field Level Media