The Philadelphia 76ers tally their first win of the 2016-17 NBA regular season at the expense of the Indiana Pacers 109-105. Joel Embiid finished the game with a season-high 25 points to extend the road woes of the Pacers who are still without a road-game win.
The Philadelphia 76sers was the only winless team left in the NBA coming into the game after the New Orleans Pelicans notched their first win of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks. They came close to winning their game against the Orlando Magic and even the defending champs Cleveland Cavaliers but they were not able to capitalize on their chances. This time, the 76ers were not going to be denied.
The Pacers and the Sixers went back and forth the whole game but the crucial moments came down the stretch. With 25.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the 76ers had a 5-point lead, 100-95, and looked poised to notching their first win in the fourth quarter.
However, the Pacers had other things in mind. On the next possession, Monta Ellis drove hard to the basket, got fouled by Joel Imbiid, and made the basket. Ellis went on to make the free throw to make it a 100-98 game 22 seconds left. The Philadelphia 76ers had a two-point lead and they had just had to inbound the ball to have a chance to seal the game for good. The team failed to inbound the ball successfully on the next sequence as Jeff Teague stole the ball from Sergio Rodriguez.
The Pacers then turned to their star player Paul George to tie or win the game and he was able to pull off the former. George drew a foul from Gerald Henderson and sank two clutch free throws to send the game to overtime.
Joel Embiid was brilliant the entire game as he went dazzling on the court, showcasing his skill set that are 76ers fans, including Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, excited to watch a 76ers game even though the losses are piling up again.
Embiid had 20 points by the end of regulation but his most important points are the five points he scored with less than a minute left in overtime. The Pacers had a 1-point lead with 1:12 seconds left care off a Paul George jump shot. Embiid gave the lead back to the 76ers after he made an and-1 play to put them up 107-105. He then made a pair of clutch free throws to give the 76ers their first game of the young season. "We just fought to the end. I thought we had a great defensive game and we have to build on that and get another win," said Embiid.
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown couldn't be happier with the win. "There's still a long ways to go," said Brown. "But the bottom line is we got our first win, and the room feels great about themselves. I feel happy for them," he added. For more NBA 2016-17 highlights, keep reading Gamenguide!
