Embiid pours in a season-high 39 points to lift the 76ers to a 115-105 victory over the Pacers
December 13, 2025 — 12:03 AM EST — AP
Joel Embiid erupted for a season-best 39 points as the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Indiana Pacers 115-105 on Friday night. Paul George contributed 23 points, and V.J. Edgecombe added 22 for Philadelphia. The Sixers played without Tyrese Maxey, the NBA’s third-leading scorer at 31.5 points per game, who sat out due to an illness.
Pascal Siakam poured in 20 points for the visiting Pacers, the defending Eastern Conference champions, who slipped to 6-19. Siakam’s jumper with 8:24 left gave Indiana a 100-95 lead, but the tide shifted as the Pacers missed nine straight shots—three of them from beyond the arc—while Philadelphia surged on a 13-2 run. The sequence ended with Embiid grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring on the follow, drawing a foul in the process and converting the free throw to push the Sixers ahead 108-102.
The seven-time All-Star, who has battled injuries over the past 1 1/2 seasons, had averaged 18.2 points and appeared in only nine of Philadelphia’s 23 games due to left and right knee issues. Yet on Friday he looked distinctly like his old self, closing the second quarter with a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer to reach 14 points in the period.
With Embiid in the lineup, Philadelphia improved to 6-4. The team had a four-day layoff since a 112-108 home loss to LeBron James and the Lakers last Sunday, giving Embiid ample time to rest and recover. He was listed probable before the game and upgraded to active.
Meanwhile, George, a former Pacers standout who played in Indiana from 2010–2017, showcased his continued prowess by posting a season-high point total after returning from knee surgery in the offseason.
Free-throw disparity stood out: Philadelphia went 33-of-43 at the line, while Indiana finished 16-of-19. Frustration mounted for the Pacers in the final minutes as head coach Rick Carlisle picked up a technical foul with just over three minutes remaining, and Siakam earned one with 1:41 left.
Up next
Pacers: Host Washington on Sunday.
76ers: Visit Atlanta on Sunday night.
In: Philadelphia 76ers - Sports - LeBron James - NBA - Indiana Pacers - Joel Embiid - Basketball - Philadelphia
