SIXERS NEWS

The Sixers struggled tonight as they welcomed the desperate Indiana Pacers, two games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the East with 4 games to play, to the Wachovia center. The Sixer's just didn't look like themselves tonight. They looked like the old Sixers, bereft of confidence and desperately just trying to keep the game close. Their shots didn't fall, the turnovers slipped out of their hands, and Indiana never wavered, dealing the Sixers the tough loss. Offensively, only two Sixers scored in double figures(Andre Miller, Thaddeus Young) with Miller's 23 leading the way. Defensively, Sammy D led the way with 17 rebounds and 2 blocks, but overall it was only a decent night for the Sixer's D, not a great one as they had no answer for the Pacer's Danny Granger who shredded them for 30 points and 12 rebounds. In the first quarter of play the Sixers actually clung to the early one point lead, with the score 18-17. In the second quarter of play the Pacers surged ahead to a 6 point lead, with the score 43-37 at the half. In the 3rd quarter of play the Pacers simply stood pat and took their 6 point lead into the 4th, with the score 67-61. Finally in the 4th quarter the Pacers pulled away for good and eventually won by 9 with the final score 85-76. So the Sixers drop to 40-39 overall, but remain 6th in the East, still 1 game out of 5th.