Pacers Visit Sinking Sixers
Roy Hibbert had a big night the last time Indiana and Philadelphia met.
Having snapped a four-game losing skid earlier this week, the Indiana Pacers will look to make it two wins on the bounce Friday with a visit to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tip-off at Wells Fargo Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
After losing four in a row for the first time since March 2012, Indiana (47-17, 17-13 road) returned to winning ways on Tuesday, albeit in less than impressive fashion.
The Pacers took a 94-83 victory over the Boston Celtics at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but looked anything but the No. 1 seed the team has strived to be throughout the season. The Celtics, while trailing for just about the entire game, made things tricky for a Pacer side that seems to be lacking in confidence.
Frank Vogel’s side could be in for a confidence boost on Friday though, thanks to a visit to the hapless Sixers.
Philadelphia (15-49, 8-25 home) currently sports the league’s longest losing streak. A 115-98 home loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday made it 18 consecutive losses for a Philadelphia side that hasn’t had much to cheer for this year.
The Sixers haven’t won since January 29 and have dropped 28 of their last 31. Brett Brown’s side has lost 14 straight at home, dating back to January 15, and 20 of the last 22 played in the City of Brotherly Love.
For Philadelphia, the 2014 NBA Draft offers far more appeal than the upcoming playoffs, although the way things have gone this year, you wouldn’t bet against the Sixers losing the draft lottery either.
The Sixers’ franchise record for consecutive losses stands at 20, a record held by the 1972-73 side that finished the year 9-73, an NBA record for losses in a season. With a pair of meetings with the Pacers sandwiching a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, that record could be about to be broken.
The Pacers and Sixers met on November 23 in Indiana, with the Pacers earning a 106-98 victory in a game that was closer than it had any right to be.
Playing shorthanded that night, the Sixers managed to stay in the game late and even had some impressive advantages in the box score; outrebounding the Pacers 23-8 on the offensive glass and totaling 15 steals to Indiana’s five. The two sides combined for 70 free throw attempts in that game.
It was poor shooting that ultimately cost the Sixers, who managed to connect on just 34.3 percent of their shots, compared to Indiana’s 46.1 percent.
Michael Carter-Williams finished the night with 29 points and seven steals while Evan Turner – now with the Pacers – added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Daniel Orton also tallied a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
Roy Hibbert had a standout night for Indiana, scoring 27 points, pulling down 13 boards and blocking six shots. David West added 17 points and 11 boards as the Pacer bigs got the better of Philadelphia.
The Pacers may be without Ian Mahinmi (hip) and George Hill (hand) on Friday, which could mean more playing time for Andrew Bynum, who made his Pacer debut in Tuesday’s win over Boston, and Turner, who will be playing against his old club for the first time since being traded for Danny Granger at the deadline.
Philadelphia continues to be without Nerlens Noel (knee), Brandon Davies (hand), and Jason Richardson (knee). Carter-Williams will be looking for another big game against the Pacers.
Indiana Pacers vs. Philadelphia 76ers odds for 03/14/2014
Indiana opened as an overwhelming favorite, unsurprising given Philadelphia’s recent calendar of woe.
The Pacers have gone 13-1 against Atlantic Division opponents this year, with the one loss coming on the road against the Toronto Raptors on New Year’s Day. The Sixers are 3-10 against Central Division opponents.
The Sixers have had some success against the Pacers recently though. Prior to November’s loss, the side had won two in a row and five of the last nine. But is that enough for an upset here?
The spread opened at 16.
Indiana (33-30-1 ATS) has a winning record against the spread but haven’t fared as well on the road, where the team is 14-16-0 ATS. However, Philadelphia (23-41-0 ATS) has covered the spread fewer times than anybody in the league, and is a woeful 8-25-0 ATS when playing at Wells Fargo Arena.
Still, backing the favorite at 16 points is a risky option, especially considering Philadelphia has covered the spread in three straight head-to-head meetings and four of the last six the two sides have played in Philadelphia.
The total opened at 204.5.
Both Indiana (28-34-2) and Philadelphia (31-32-1) have favored the under this season but seven of the last eight head-to-head matchups, including the last three, have seen the total go over.
That being said, the total has gone under in seven of Indiana’s last 10 visits to the City of Brotherly Love. With Frank Vogel’s team sporting the No. 1 defense in the league and the Sixers looking offensively anemic at times, the under may prove to be the more suitable bet.
The Pacers and Sixers will close out the head-to-head series with a matchup in Indiana on Monday (Mar. 17).
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