The Pacers play their first road game of the season in Philly on Monday night.
The Pacers begin the road portion of their season on Monday night when they visit the 76ers for the first of five consecutive games away from the Fieldhouse.
The Pacers left town on a positive note after beating the Pistons on Saturday night. After a 1-2 homestand to open the season, the Pacers will continue playing without either Myles Turner nor Daniel Theis. The thin front court options could be a problem since Joel Embiid is usually a problem with all hands on deck in the front court.
Embiid had 40 points in his last outing and the Sixers reported that the big guy is still playing his way into shape after plantar fascia issues kept him down more than usual during the offseason. Despite the big night from the big fella, the Sixers lost to the Spurs to drop to 0-3 on the season. So, yeah, not an ideal spot for the Pacers to catch the Sixers.
Pacers.com has Aaron Nesmith listed as a probable starter instead of Chris Duarte so we will see if there is any news on that front prior to tip. Duarte did tweak his toe against San Antonio, but he is not currently on the injury report. Nesmith may just be getting a look as reward for his overall dedication at the defensive end, which can also help manage Duarte’s minutes.
DraftKings Odds: 76ers -12, O/U 229 (latest DraftKings odds here)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
TV: Bally Sports Indiana/Bally Sports + app
Radio: 93.5 FM/107.5 FM
Projected Starting Lineups:
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson
Sixers: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, P.J. Tucker, Joel Embiid
Injury update:
IND: Daniel Theis – out (sore right knee), Myles Turner – out (sprained left ankle)
PHI: None
Please share your thoughts and observations on the game in the comments.