Tyrese Maxey's 32 Points Keeps Sixers Alive in the East's Playoff Hunt, But Joel Embiid's Appendicitis Changes Everything

The Philadelphia 76ers just knocked off the Indiana Pacers 105-94 in Indianapolis on Friday night, and with that win, they've guaranteed themselves at least an eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. That's the good news. The bad news? They did it without Joel Embiid, their former MVP, who came down with appendicitis on Thursday and sat out the entire game.

Tyrese Maxey led the way with 32 points, though he struggled from deep, hitting just 1 of 10 from three. But the real story was Andre Drummond off the bench, who posted a 10-point, 16-rebound double-double and made his presence felt on the glass with seven offensive rebounds. With Embiid sidelined and the Sixers desperately needing interior production, Drummond answered the call in a big way.

The Sixers Are Clawing Back Into the Sixth Seed Race

Philadelphia sits at 44-37 now, just one game behind both the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic, who are both sitting at 45-36. The Sixers hold the tiebreaker edge on Charlotte, Toronto, and Orlando, which gives them a real shot at landing that sixth and final automatic playoff berth in the East. The clincher? Detroit beat Charlotte 118-100 the same night, keeping the Hornets at bay.

The Sixers wrapped up a three-game road swing with this back-to-back performance, and they get one more crack at it Sunday when the Milwaukee Bucks visit. That's a must-watch game if you're tracking the playoff picture.

Defense and Turnovers Carried the Load Without Their Star

Both teams shot it poorly on Friday. The Sixers went 42 for 104 from the field (40.4%) and a brutal 5 for 29 from three (17.2%). Indiana wasn't much better, hitting 33 of 88 overall (37.5%) and connecting on 14 threes, though they jacked up 50 attempts from deep (28%). But the Pacers' 21 turnovers were killer, and the Sixers turned those miscues into 18 points.

Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while leading the defense with four steals. Rookie VJ Edgecombe, March's NBA Rookie of the Month, chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, with three of his steals coming in the first half. One of those led to a transition alley-oop from Justin Edwards for a slam that ignited a 14-1 Sixers run spanning the end of the first quarter and start of the second. That burst gave Philadelphia a lead they never relinquished.

For Indiana (19-62), Jarace Walker led the way with 17 points. Micah Potter posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, and Jay Huff grabbed 10 boards to go with eight points off the bench. Quenton Jackson scored 16 and Ethan Thompson added 15. Obi Toppin, fresh off a season-high 26 points on Thursday against Brooklyn, was limited to just seven points in under 20 minutes.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.