Indiana Pacers look for 8th consecutive win as they host the Philadelphia 76ers – NBA Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers face an uphill task come Saturday night as they face the hottest team in the Eastern Conference at the moment, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have won their last 7 games, and look to make it 8 in a row, which
will be their longest win streak since the 2004-05 NBA season.
The Pacers locked up the third seed on Thursday night after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, and will open their post season at home for the first time since the successful 2004-05 season.
The Sixers, on the other hand, have lost 7 of their last 10 games. After starting the season strong, they seem to have run out of energy. However, they are still the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and a win on Saturday
night would lock up that 8th seed for them, guaranteeing a spot in the playoffs at the same time.
The two teams have played 3 times this season, with Indiana leading the season series 2-1. The Sixers won the January 9th match-up 96-86. Andre Iguodala scored 20 points and the Sixers shot 50% from the field to secure
the victory. Indiana won the March 14th fixture 111-94, scoring 57% from the field and out-rebounding the Sixers 37-26 to score the victory. Indiana had only 8 fouls and 7 turnovers for the game. Danny Granger led with 20 points, going 8 of 13 from
the field. 5 Indiana players had double digit points.
The last time the two teams met was April 17, when Indiana won 102-97. It was a close game but the Sixers failed to close it well, and defended the perimeter poorly. Indiana had outstanding performances by Danny Granger with 24
points and Roy Hibbert with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Andre Iguodala had 23 for the Sixers.
Andre Iguodala is the star players for the Sixers and a lot depends on how he plays come Saturday night. He has also been successful against the Pacers this season, scoring 53 points in three games. However, if the Sixers want
to win against the Pacers, one of the other players needs to stand up as well and play a big game.
For the Pacers, Danny Granger will be a key figure, having scored 44 points in 2 games played against the Sixers this season. Roy Hibbert is the supporting cast, and the Sixers need to keep him out of the game in order to win it.
The Sixers lack a good quality big man to hold off Hibbert. Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic both struggled against the Pacers, combining for 12 rebounds and 20 points in the 3 games played this season. For the Sixers to win, one of them needs to step up and
hold off Hibbert.
The Pacers want to continue their winning run till the start of the playoffs and the Sixers are desperate for a win to seal a spot in the playoffs, after a rollercoaster season. It will be a tough contest indeed.
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