PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers were able to defeat the Indiana Pacers 115-105 on Friday, which is the most important thing, but the Sixers also saw their star tandem play well together on the floor.
Embiid went for 39 points and nine rebounds as he scored his most points in a game since dropping 70 on the San Antonio Spurs in January of 2024. Meanwhile, George had 23 points, knocked down four triples on seven attempts, and had six rebounds and five assists. This is the type of performance the Sixers envisioned with the two on the floor.
Coach Nick Nurse still had to work through some minutes restrictions, so the pairing couldn’t play too much together, but Nurse and the Sixers saw a glimpse of what could be.
“It was good,” Nurse started. “I think all of it, I don’t wanna get too carried away here, but it was all good. I thought they looked good together. There was a long stretch of the game when I was trying to separate them just, again, because of the minutes kinda restrictions. So, I was trying to alternate them. I think it all worked really well.”
This is still a work in progress, but the Sixers were able to see what they have in lineups with both Embiid and George, as well as having one of them off the floor in this setting. Philadelphia is still working its way through the ups and downs of the season, but the Embiid-George performance against the Pacers does offer some hope.
With Embiid and George on the floor in the fourth quarter, they spearheaded a defensive effort that left the Pacers frustrated. It was an impressive performance and it’s one the Sixers will look to build on as they move forward into the season.
“I think the times when Paul was out, Joel carried, and when Joel was out, Paul did his thing. So, I think—and then the combination of them at the end, it’s tough,” Nurse finished. “I think they had a stretch where they scored eight in a row. We’re more worried about how we’re gonna get to the end of the game and the game’s getting pretty tough right in the moment, right? Again, I think the combination was good and I think the solo when they were on solo was good.”
The Sixers will face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday on the road looking to bounce back from their double overtime loss to the Hawks at home back on Nov. 30.