Instant observations: Sixers dominate Pacers in Joel Embiid’s return

INDIANAPOLIS — The Philadelphia 76ers wrapped a 2-1 road trip in emphatic fashion Tuesday night, dismantling the Indiana Pacers 135-114 as Joel Embiid returned from a multi-week layoff to pour in 27 effortless points.

Embiid’s presence was felt on both ends. He contested drives at the rim without abandoning the paint, navigating Indiana’s stretch-big lineups with unusual comfort. Offensively, the 7-footer rediscovered his midrange rhythm and punished switches against Micah Potter and Jay Huff, finishing through traffic for layups, dunks and repeated trips to the line. More encouragingly, he kept teammates involved, firing precision pocket passes to Tyrese Maxey out of fake dribble-handoffs and finding cutters Trendon Watford and Quentin Grimes for easy looks.

Maxey overcame a sleepy start—two first-quarter turnovers and a 2-for-6 opening frame—to torch the Pacers for 32 points. Operating in three-guard lineups alongside rookie VJ Edgecombe and Grimes, Maxey uncorked the full scoring package: transition pull-up threes, midrange fadeaways and contorted reverse layups that drew gasps from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd. He initiated contact relentlessly, earning seven first-half free throws and finishing a rebound short of a triple-double in a game that was never competitive after halftime.

Edgecombe continued his post-All-Star-break surge, scoring a smooth 23 points on efficient shooting. The rookie attacked early offense without forcing highlight dunks, instead using tight crossovers to turn sloppy Pacers closeouts into uncontested run-outs. He canned midrange jumpers over late contests, leveraged early fouls to keep defenders guessing and remained active off the ball—one hard cut even aborted an Indiana double-team, freeing Embiid for an uncontested jumper. On defense Edgecombe held his own in cross-matches, notably stonewalling Jarace Walker on a post possession, while adding his customary energy on the glass.

The second unit offered further encouragement. Grimes supplied instant offense and Adem Bona flashed improved footwork and decision-making in traffic, combining for a bench boost that extended leads rather than merely preserving them.

Philadelphia’s only persistent wart: an over-aggressive help scheme that repeatedly surrendered wide-open corner threes, undermining otherwise solid individual efforts from Embiid and Edgecombe. The lapse did little to threaten the outcome, yet it remains a schematic concern heading into the stretch run.

A footnote foul—Trendon Watford’s 80-foot swipe with 0.5 seconds left in the half—provided the evening’s lone cringe-worthy moment, summing up a forgettable night for a Pacers side that never found an answer for Embiid, Maxey or Edgecombe.

With their star center reintegrated and the backcourt humming, the Sixers exited Indianapolis playing an appealing brand of offense—and looking very much like the team they believe they can be down the stretch.