NBA 2018-19: 3 talking points from Indiana Pacers' win over Philadelphia 76ers
When the Philadelphia 76ers met the Indiana Pacers in their first match-up of this season, they triumphed 100-94 for their maiden road win of the year. But in the second clash of the four-game series that took place yesterday, the Pacers got their revenge and the series now stands at 1-1.
The Pacers held their ground and won their sixth straight game, beating the Sixers 113-101. In the process, they also passed them on the Eastern Conference leaderboard for the 3rd spot. The Pacers are 13-3 against East teams.
In the aftermath of this loss, Philadelphia have slid to the 5th spot with a 19-11 win-loss record, 3.5 games behind the leaders Toronto Raptors. This was their second straight loss, and they have now been defeated in 4 of their last 10 matches.
Let's look at the key takeaways from the Pacers' statement win over the struggling Sixers:
#1 Thaddeus Young scores a team-high 26 points while Victor Oladipo makes a clutch return from injury
Victor Oladipo played in just his second game after returning from a knee injury, and finished with a decent total of 14 points and 9 assists. In a closely-monitored 31 minute game, Oladipo came through in the 4th period, contributing six points and four assists.
"Late in the game, we started to give him the ball and allow him to make some plays," Pacers Coach McMillan said. "It was good to see him make those plays down the stretch. Those are the things we really missed when he was out. That guy was kind of the closer for us. You put it in his hands and allow him to make plays."
Thaddeus Young, meanwhile, finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, providing the spark the Pacers needed to withstand the Joel Embiid storm. The 12-year NBA veteran, who spent the first seven years of his career in Philadelphia, provided some insight after the game, as to how he carried himself on the court.
"When small guys are switched on me, I can see the doubles," Young said after the match. "I might be posting a guy, I'm still looking at other guys who are open, kick outs to the corners, to the wings. I told Domas just seal his guy and I'm going to throw it up to the rim because there's a smaller guy on his backside. Those things worked. I was reading and reacting to the different situations."