3 observations after Embiid leaves after a punch to the face, Sixers lose to Pacers

3 observations after Embiid leaves after a punch to the face, Sixers lose to Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid played just one half and the Sixers failed to add an eighth win on Friday night.

They fell to 7-16 this season with a 121-107 loss to the Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid suffered a sinus fracture after taking an accidental hit to the face from Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, a Sixers official said late Friday night. He will be further evaluated this weekend.

The Sixers opened the game without Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy). Both players have resumed work on the field and are considered day-to-day. Kyle Lowry was scratched late due to lower back spasms.

Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 22 points. Paul George added 15 and Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double.

Tyrese Haliburton led the 11-15 Pacers with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight boards.

Next up for the Sixers is a Monday night road game against the Hornets. Here are observations of their loss to Indiana:

Pacers pounce on Sixers’ sloppiness

Embiid’s passing was a plus in the beginning.

The superstar big man had four assists in the first quarter. Oubre cut behind the Indiana defense on the first play of the game and Embiid dished up to him for a layup. The Sixers had a few nice moments from several players’ post-ups, including an Embiid feed that set up George for a wide-open three-pointer.

The Pacers responded to a 9-2 deficit by storming back with a 14-0 run. The Sixers’ turnovers played a key role, allowing Indiana to attack in transition. Mathurin poked the ball away from an unsuspecting George, leading to Haliburton’s second consecutive three. He made four triples in the first period.

Maxey turned the ball over early in the second quarter when the Pacers put him in the pick-and-roll shortly after he crossed half court. Seconds later, TJ McConnell threw a successful alley-oop to Obi Toppin, and Indiana took a 37-24 lead. At that point, the Sixers had eight turnovers compared to the Pacers.

Indiana effectively put pressure on Maxey, who would scored 45 points on Oct. 27 in an overtime win against the Pacers. Before Friday, his season high in turnovers was four. He had five giveaways in the first half.

It didn’t help that the Sixers came up empty on several decent looks. Embiid missed a driving layup on Myles Turner and started 0 for 4 from the floor. He had started 0 for 7 in the Sixers win Sunday over Bulls.

Only one half of Embiid

Eric Gordon was the only available Sixer not in the team’s 10-man rotation.

While the team’s second unit had some defensive breakdowns, the youthful trio of Jared McCain, KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV combined for 16 points in the first half.

When he checked back in for his second stay, Embiid was determined to go in for Turner. He drew Turner’s third foul with 4:49 left in the second quarter.

All attention turned to Embiid’s health at the end of the second. He was hit in the face by Mathurin’s arm as the Indiana guard chased down a potential offensive rebound. Embiid eventually got up and walked back to the Sixers’ locker room with a towel over his face. He didn’t come back to the floor.

The sinus fracture is another injury on a long, long list for Embiid, who has twice worn a mask on his face during the playoffs after returning from orbital fractures.

McCain started the third quarter and had his own injury scare when he fell hard on a drive and appeared to hit his head on the field. According to a Sixers official, McCain was evaluated for a concussion and cleared to return.

Comeback bet expires

The Sixers fell behind by as many as 18 points in the third quarter.

However, they got back into the game late in the third period. Oubre, Council and Andre Drummond all played hard and did good, physical work on the boards.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used George and four bench players to begin the fourth quarter. George got more aggressive, sinking a floater and a jumper that cut the Pacers’ lead to 92-87.

In the end, the Sixers appeared to run out of juice, and Indiana made enough timely shots, including two consecutive Siakam jumpers. Haliburton scored an and-one hoop on McCain, then stopped at the bench to celebrate with his teammates. The Pacers’ lead kept expanding and they prevailed.

For the Sixers, the main thing that matters is another Embiid injury.