October 27, 2026 at 5:14 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

76ers Hold the Depth Edge Over a Pacers Team Short on Bodies

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Indiana's growing injury list gives Philadelphia the edge in Wednesday's meeting.

The Pacers arrive in a difficult spot. They blew an 11-point halftime lead and lost 110-102 to a previously winless Bucks team, and the injury report offers little relief. Andrew Nembhard missed that game with a back/neck issue, and none of the sources confirm his status for Philadelphia. If he is out again, Indiana's backcourt loses its steadiest organizer, and the offense gets harder to run when it stalls.

The frontcourt is the bigger concern. Ivica Zubac was ruled out against Milwaukee with a left ankle sprain. Rick Carlisle noted a slight limp and gave no timetable for his return. Ben Sheppard is also out and will have surgery on a torn meniscus, which thins the wing rotation. Indiana will have to find answers from a shorter bench against a team that can attack in different ways.

Philadelphia has its own questions, but they are more manageable. The 76ers sat Joel Embiid in the loss to Detroit as part of their plan to manage his plantar fasciitis. They have shown they won't push him in back-to-backs, so his availability here depends on the schedule, and no status has been confirmed. Their frontcourt was also thin Sunday, with Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Tacko Fall and VJ Edgecombe all out. Even so, Nick Nurse has a workable answer. LeBron James has played center in small-ball stretches and started there against Detroit. That gives Philadelphia lineup flexibility that Indiana, without its starting center, may struggle to match.

I expect a competitive game, but Indiana's lost rotation pieces and its late collapse against Milwaukee are hard to dismiss. Philadelphia's versatility and Nurse's ability to adjust should decide it late.

Prediction: 76ers 111, Pacers 106.

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