3 observations after Embiid leaves after being punched in the face, Sixers lose to Pacers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid only played one half and the Sixers failed to pick up their eighth win on Friday night.

They fell to 7-16 this season with a 121-107 loss to the Pacers at Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid suffered a fractured sinus after being accidentally hit in the face by Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, a Sixers official said late Friday night. He will be further examined this weekend.

The Sixers opened the game without Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy). Both players have resumed their work on the pitch and are considered everyday players. Kyle Lowry was injured late with lower back spasms.

Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 22 points. Paul George added 15 and Kelly Oubre Jr. posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Tyrese Haliburton led the 11-15 Pacers with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight boards.

Next up for the Sixers is an away game against the Hornets on Monday night. Here are observations from their loss to Indiana:

Pacers pounce on Sixers’ sloppiness

Embiid’s passing game was a plus in the early going.

The great superstar scored four assists in the first quarter. Oubre got behind the Indiana defense on the first play and Embiid hit him for a layup. The Sixers had a few nice inside-out moments from several players’ post-ups, including an Embiid feed that set up George for a wide-open three-pointer.

The Pacers responded to a 9-2 deficit by storming back with a 14-0 run. The Sixers’ turnovers played a key role and allowed Indiana to attack in transition. Mathurin pushed the ball away from an unsuspecting George, leading to Haliburton’s second straight three-pointer. He made four three-pointers in the first period.

Maxey turned the ball over early in the second quarter when the Pacers attacked him in the pick-and-roll just after he crossed the half-court. Seconds later, TJ McConnell threw a successful alley-oop to Obi Toppin and Indiana took a 37-24 lead. At this point, the Sixers had eight turnovers compared to the Pacers.

Indiana put effective pressure on Maxey, who scored 45 points in an overtime win against the Pacers on Oct. 27. Before Friday, his season high was four turnovers. He had five giveaways in the first half.

It didn’t help that the Sixers came up empty in several decent performances. Embiid missed a layup against Myles Turner and started 0 for 4 from the floor. He started 0-for-7 in the Sixers’ win on Sunday against the Bulls.

Just one half of Embiid

Eric Gordon was the only available Sixer who was not in the team’s 10-man rotation.

While the team’s second unit had some defensive lapses, the young trio of Jared McCain, KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV combined for 16 points in the first half.

When he checked back in for his second stint, Embiid was determined to get Turner out inside. He picked up Turner’s third foul with 4:49 left in the second quarter.

By the end of the second, all attention turned to Embiid’s health. He was hit in the face by Mathurin’s arm as the Indiana guard went for a possible offensive rebound. Embiid eventually stood up and walked back to the Sixers locker room, holding a towel to his face. He didn’t get back on the ground.

The sinus fracture is another injury problem in a long, long list for Embiid, who wore a mask on his face twice during the playoffs after returning from orbital fractures.

McCain began the third quarter with an injury scare of his own when he fell heavily on a drive and appeared to hit his head on the field. According to a Sixers official, McCain was evaluated for a concussion and cleared to return.

Comeback efforts fail

The Sixers actually fell behind by 18 points in the third quarter.

However, they got back into the game towards the end of the third period. Oubre, Council and Andre Drummond all played hard and did good physical work on the boards.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used George and four substitutes at the start of the fourth quarter. George became more aggressive, sinking a floater and a jumper, cutting the Pacers’ lead to 92-87.

In the end, the Sixers seemed to run out of juice and Indiana made enough timely shots, including two Siakam jumpers in a row. Haliburton scored a basket against McCain and then stopped at the bench to celebrate with his teammates. The Pacers’ lead continued to grow and they cruised to victory.

What matters most for the Sixers is another Embiid injury.