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The Indiana Pacers will host the Philadelphia 76ers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on January 31st in a matchup between two of the best teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Philadelphia sits at the top of the East with a 14-6 record, while Indiana ranks fifth with 11 wins and eight losses after five weeks of the 2020-21 NBA season.
Doc Rivers' Philly team is currently on a two-game winning streak and has taken seven wins in their last 10 matches. On the other hand, Indiana is 5-5 in its last 10 games.
Joel Embiid has been the main weapon on the Philadelphia 76ers' roster, while Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon have been solid for the Indiana Pacers. In this piece, we will create a combined lineup with players on the rosters of the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers Prediction: Combined starting 5
Philadelphia defeated the LA Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last two games. Indiana fell to the Charlotte Hornets in their most recent outing.
This matchup will be the first between these two teams in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Without further ado, let us start with the combined starting five for the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Indiana Pacers.
Guard - Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Ben Simmons has been solid for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2020-21 NBA season and he has been available for 18 of the team's 20 games so far.
Simmons is naturally close to a triple-double almost every night, something uncommon for a 6'11'' point guard. Despite the noise about his unwillingness to shoot from outside, Simmons is still an effective player with his own weapons and style.
He is averaging 12.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Defensively, Simmons is active and knows how to use his length to disrupt the opponents' offense. He averages 1.6 steals and one block per game.
Guard - Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers)
The Indiana Pacers have been carried in the 2020-21 NBA season by Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon.
Brogdon, a Rookie of the Year award winner with the Milwaukee Bucks, is having a tremendous season for Indy. He is having his best year in terms of scoring and passing.
The guard leads Indiana in points per game (22.7) and assists per game (7.2), and both averages are career highs. Brogdon has made 46% of his field goals and 40% of his threes (7.2 attempts per game).
In his previous game, Brogdon put up 21 points and eight assists in the loss against Charlotte.
Forward - Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)
A solid 2020-21 NBA season with the East-leading Philadelphia 76ers could even mean a first All-Star appearance for Tobias Harris. Though an All-Star selection for him is a long shot, he is having a fantastic campaign.
Harris is Philly's second-leading scorer in the 2020-21 campaign so far (19.9 points per game) and also ranks second in three-pointers made for the team in the current campaign.
He is averaging seven rebounds per night and has been clutch for the team. Harris gave Philadelphia the win over the reigning champions LA Lakers after hitting a jumper with three seconds left on January 27th.
Harris has been incredibly efficient this year: he has made 51% of his field goals and 47% of his shots from the three-point line.
Forward - Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers)
Domantas Sabonis is playing at an elite level for the Indiana Pacers and continues to evolve his game. A year removed from his first All-Star Game appearance, Sabonis might have another All-Star selection in 2021.
Sabonis has been a versatile player for Indiana, as he's been able to fill the stat sheet almost every night. The left-handed forward is averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists per game. Moreover, he has made 55% of his shots from the field and a decent 36% of his shots from deep.
He has recorded 18 double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season and also set his career-high for points in a single game with 32 against the New York Knicks on Indy's opening night.
Center - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Joel Embiid is one of the strongest candidates for the 2020-21 NBA MVP award.
The Cameroonian center is having arguably the best year of his NBA career so far. Embiid is averaging 28 points and 11 rebounds per game and is also setting career highs in field goal percentage (54%), three-point shooting (40%) and free-throw percentage (84%).
Embiid is leading the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating with a 31.4 grade.
The 26-year-old is on a hot streak at the moment, as he is averaging 33 points and 10 rebounds in his last seven games and the Sixers are 7-0 in that stretch (he missed a couple of games in between and Philly lost twice).
In his 16 appearances, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 14-2 record and he has 12 double-doubles.
Also read: Philadelphia 76ers vs Indiana Pacers Prediction and Match Preview - January 31st, 2021 l NBA Season 2020-21
