INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana newcomer Pascal Siakam had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his first triple-double since November 2022, leading the Pacers to a 134-122 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Joel Embiid had 31 points and seven rebounds just three days after breaking the 76ers’ franchise record with 70 points. Philadelphia had won six in a row.
Embiid, the NBA’s reigning MVP, was one of the starters announced Thursday for All-Star Game on Feb. 18 Indianapolis for the first time since 1985.
The Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak and gave Siakam his first win since joining the team last week in trade with Toronto. The team and its fans also celebrated the announcement of Tyrese Haliburton’s first All-Star Game start.
But even with Haliburton missing another game because of a strained left hamstring, the Pacers made this one look easy. They opened with six straight points, quickly extended the margin to double digits and led by 17 before settling for a 73-61 halftime cushion.
Indiana then opened the second half with 10 straight points to make it 83-61. Philadelphia never recovered in a game that it never had the lead.
Indiana improved to 8-4 against the Eastern Conference’s top three teams and is .500 or better against all three.
The All-Star announcement came just as the game was about to start, so the Pacers honored Haliburton during the first timeout by replaying the television clip. Fans gave Haliburton a standing ovation, and the 23-year-old guard waved to the crowd.
UP NEXT
76ers: At Denver on Saturday.
Pacers: Host Phoenix on Friday night.
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