Pacers fade on final run in loss to Sixers in Philly
Joel Embiid and Paul George showed up big for the Sixers making for a frustrating night in Philly for the Pacers.
In a game of runs, that had control of the game going back and forth between the Pacers and Sixers, it was Philly who had the deciding 15-3 run in the final five minutes to put away the win, beating the Pacers 115-105.
That run completed a 20-5 finish for the for the Sixers over the final 8:24 after a Pascal Siakam runner (with no foul called) bounced in to give the Pacers a 100-95 lead early in the fourth quarter. Between missed shots by the Pacers and missed fouls, enough of the latter to garner 3 technical fouls on the Pacers and an early exit for Rick Carlisle, the Sixers were suddenly able to close out the win at home.
Without Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers still tried to keep a fast pace rolling with VJ Edgecomb leading the way early. But after the Pacers adjusted and took an early second quarter lead, the Sixers slowed it down a bit and leaned on their vets, Paul George and Joel Embiid.
All we have heard about Embiid is that he is not the same player this year, playing with the speedy Sixers. He had scored over 20 points in five of the nine prior games he’d play, but the big fella really got it going in the second quarter against the Pacers. Embiid scored 15 second quarter points, then went on to be a menace from the midrange and in, finishing with 39 points and 9 rebounds.
Paul George had it going early and I can’t lie. Running into that smooth jumper was a pretty sight to see, indeed. PG finished with 23 points.
The Pacers were in this game the whole way, with no lead by greater than 11 points by Philly. Siakam had a frustrating night but lead all Pacers with 20 points on 18 shots. Ethan Thompson started again and played about 34 minutes, looking far more comfortable and assertive from the tip and finished with 12 points before fouling out.
This game followed a familiar script for losses earlier in the season to teams higher up in the standings. The effort was solid, but the execution wasn’t good enough late to overcome any reffing issues. A quality finish if you are monitoring the draft standings, but nothing from the emotional effort and response after the game said the Pacers felt that way.
Next up, an afternoon (3 p.m. ET tip) game at the Fieldhouse against the Wizards, the current worst team in the league. The Pacers will try to beat the Wizards for the second time this season, trying to follow up their 119-86 win at the Fieldhouse in late November.
Pascal Siakam lead the way in that one with 24 points and 11 rebounds, one of six Pacers to score in double figures. Alex Sarr scored 24 points for Washington, but the young big man is listed as out for the rematch, along with Khris Middleton and Corey Kispert.
The two teams will wrap up their four-game regular season series in February with back-to-back games in Washington right after the All-Star break.
Pacers vs. Wizards
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Sunday, December 14, 2025 - 3:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers -9.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Ethan Thomas, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff
Wizards: Bub Carrington, CJ McCollum, Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie, Marvin Bagley III
Injuries
Pacers: Quenton Jackson (hammy) - questionable, Kam Jones (back) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (calf) - out, Aaron Nesmith (knee) - out, Obi Toppin (hammy) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out
Wizards: Malaki Branham (thumb) - out, Bilal Coulibaly (oblique) - out, Corey Kispert (thumb) - out, Khris Middleton (knee) - out), Alex Sarr (adductor strain) - out