PHILADEPHIA — Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points on the night he was named an All-Star Game starter, and the 76ers shook off recent late-game struggles to close out the last-place Indiana Pacers, 113-104, Monday at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Maxey added eight assists and a career-high eight steals. He had five on three occasions, including in his last game Friday against Cleveland.
Joel Embiid scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Kelly Oubre stepped into the starting lineup for Paul George with 18 points.
The 76ers ended a two-game losing streak and evened their record at home this season at 11-11 on the third game of a six-game homestand. The Pacers entered with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 10-33.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 25 points, and Pascal Siakam added 24 points.
The 76ers pocketed 18 steals in total, causing 22 Pacers turnovers. The 76ers gave up the ball on just nine occasions. It helped the 76ers weather 12 missed free throws.
The offensive execution looked great early, with the 76ers scoring 18 points in the first six minutes with the starters and 33 points in the first quarter. Maxey had 11 in the opening frame, Embiid 10 on 5-for-5 shooting.
But the still resolving rotation entered and stagnated offensively with just 17 points in the second quarter. Siakam had 13 points and Nembhard added 12 to lead the Pacers in the first half.
The first unit recovered the lead in the third quarter, Embiid shaking off five straight misses from the field and Oubre supplying nine points to that run. Embiid had 11 points in the third quarter, and all five 76ers starters were in double figures after three quarters.
The separation didn’t come, though, with the Pacers still within one after three quarters at 82-81. Maxey had 12 points in the first 7:30 of the fourth quarter to give the 76ers their first double-digit lead, and Embiid helped close the game with a huge 3-pointer with five minutes left. Jabari Walker (five points, six rebounds) stepped into the closing unit without George. Dominick Barlow and VJ Edgecombe added 11 points each, Edgecombe with a sensational flush in the third quarter.
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Paul George missed the game, the front half of a back-to-back. He had played 12 of the last 13. Embiid was good to go.
The presumption is that the two will reverse roles in Tuesday’s visit from Phoenix. While Embiid has not played back-to-backs and has grown into playing on one day’s rest with some regularity of late, Nick Nurse took a never-say-never approach about back-to-backs.
“That’s not really been put on the table, but I wouldn’t totally rule it out either at some point,” Nurse said. “I think it’s a ways away still yet, but I wouldn’t say that it’s on the table as he’s never going to, either.”
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Jared McCain was recalled from a one-game stint with the Delaware Blue Coats. He scored 15 points in 30 minutes, though he was just 5-for-18 shooting and a minus-17.
Nurse said pregame that an extended stint was not on the table given the busy week ahead, though that may be revisited later in the week. He conceded that McCain may be pressing a little in the limited opportunities he’s getting.
“Just trying to get him some minutes,” Nurse said. “We’re just trying to get him some extended run and get him out there. I don’t think he’s had the much of a runway to play consistently, and we’re just trying to make sure he gets out there.”
The second-year guard has averaged just 11.5 minutes and 3.5 points in his last eight NBA games. He didn’t play Friday against Cleveland and was out of the rotation again Monday before getting the final 47 seconds of the game.