Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers: 3 key matchups that could decide the game - March 1st, 2021| NBA Season 2020-2021
The Indiana Pacers are on a three-game losing streak in the NBA 2020-21 season and take on the utterly dominant Philadelphia 76ers side next. The Philadelphia 76ers look like bonafide NBA title contenders and are currently 1st in the Eastern Conference with a 22-12 record.
They will be looking to move past their hard-fought loss against the Cavaliers last time around, which came despite a 42-point performance from Joel Embiid.
The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, have struggled offensively in recent games and are in need of some top performances. Their season has had their ups and downs and they have quite a few players missing through injuries as well.
The Indiana Pacers will be looking at the likes of Domant Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon to deliver the goods, preferably in tandem.
Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers: 3 key matchups that could decide the game
The Philadelphia 76ers have seen Joel Embiid as one of the frontrunners for the 2021 NBA MVP award, with the big center showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Ben Simmons has been a constant presence on both ends of the court, while Tobias Harris is the Philadelphia 76ers’ second most prolific scorer this season.
With Caris LeVert and T.J. Warren long-term absentees, the Indiana Pacers have multiple injury concerns and go in as second favorites. In this article, we look at the 3 key matchups that might end up deciding the outcome of the tie.
#1 Myles Turner vs Joel Embiid
Stopping, or rather restricting, Joel Embiid is the biggest task at hand for the Indiana Pacers for this particular game. Embiid is averaging an even 30 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, and has been utterly dominant on both ends of the court. He is currently the favorite to win the NBA MVP award, and rightly so.
Embiid comes up against an in-form Myles Turner, who has improved on both ends of the court in the 2020-21 NBA season. Turner is currently producing 3.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, and is one of the favorites to take home the Defensive Player of the Year award. Of course, his skills will be put to good use against Joel Embiid.
#2 Malcolm Brogdon vs Ben Simmons
Despite the lack of consistency that Malcolm Brogdon has shown this season, he has still managed to produce 21.4 points, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting from the 3-point zone at a healthy 38.1%, and might have to do quite a bit of defensive work considering Ben Simmons' all-round capabilities.
Simmons is also a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award and is producing 16 points, 7.9 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game. Simmons comes into the matchup off the back of a 24-point performance and will be hoping to make his points count towards a victory for the Philadelphia 76ers, this time around.
#3 Domantas Sabonis vs Tobias Harris
The one matchup that the Indiana Pacers will be hoping to see go their way is this one. Sabonis has been a constant for the Indiana Pacers this season and is producing impressive numbers. He is averaging 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds along with a steal per game, and is expected to put up a huge performance.
Tobias Harris, on the other hand, is the second most lethal scorer that the Philadelphia 76ers possess, with his consistent points proving crucial in multiple games already. Harris is averaging 20.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and might have to work defensively to neutralize the threat that Sabonis represents.