Sixers vs. Pacers: 3 takeaways from brutal loss in bubble opener

The Sixers got off to a rocky start in Orlando.

After four months of effervescent optimism from the fanbase, the Sixers returned to midseason form in all the worst ways Saturday night. The Indiana Pacers clinched the tiebreaker in the hunt for the No. 5 seed with a 127-121 victory, spurred by T.J. Warren’s career-high 53 points.

The Sixers had an overwhelming size advantage and a mostly healthy roster, whereas Indiana was short two starters in Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon. Joel Embiid contributed a superstar-caliber stat line, dropping 41 points and 21 rebounds. It mattered not. Philadelphia struggled to find rhythm all night, and the Pacers’ six-point victory, frankly, felt closer than the Sixers deserved it to be.

This was a stark departure from the scrimmages, in which Philadelphia’s starters hummed along just fine. Shake Milton was non-existent for various reasons, the defense crumbled in important moments, and the offense couldn’t get over the hump late.

As for Warren, there’s only so far you can go to blame the defense when someone drops 53. He was hot, and he wasn’t going to go quietly into the night. But the Sixers certainly didn’t defend him well. Not consistently enough, at least.

Here are some takeaways from a brutal return to reality for the Sixers.