Tyrese Maxey capped an All-Star day with a statement performance, scoring 29 points and swiping eight steals as the Philadelphia 76ers pulled away late for a 113-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
Hours after being named an All-Star starter for the first time, Maxey showed why he earned the nod, shooting 12-for-24 from the floor and adding eight assists. Joel Embiid powered the Sixers as well, finishing with 30 points and nine rebounds, while Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in 18. All five Philadelphia starters scored in double figures.
Andrew Nembhard led Indiana with 25 points, and Pascal Siakam added 24, but the Pacers couldn’t sustain a late push. Indiana, which entered the night off a modest three-game winning streak, dropped its third game in four outings.
The Sixers didn’t seize control early. Philadelphia trailed at halftime and held just an 82-81 edge after three quarters, struggling to separate from a Pacers team that has labored through the season. The decisive stretch came in the fourth, when Embiid asserted himself inside and the Sixers finally created breathing room.
Maxey, who thanked his “fellow Americans” for voting him into next month’s All-Star Game, was subbed out for good late in the fourth quarter and received a loud ovation from the home crowd. The rising star will make his first All-Star start after earning his second overall selection, entering the night averaging 30.3 points per game.
Up next:
Indiana travels to Boston on Wednesday, while Philadelphia returns home to host Phoenix on Tuesday night.
