Getty Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz
The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the NBA’s most puzzling dilemmas: what do they do with Ben Simmons AND Markelle Fultz? It’s a fascinating question head coach Brett Brown needs to answer as the season moves along.
For now, the 76ers head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on the suddenly emerging Indiana Pacers (7-4) on Wednesday night.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN (nationally), NBC Sports Philadelphia (locally in 76ers markets) and Fox Sports Indiana (locally in Pacers markets). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, NBC Sports Philadelphia (in local markets) and Fox Sports Indiana (in local markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
There’s no ESPN, but for those who are in-market of either team, NBC Sports Philadelphia (in local markets) and Fox Sports Indiana (in local markets) are in the main Fubo bundle, which includes 85 total channels and is largely tailored towards sports. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch the game up to three days after it airs even if you forgot to record it or signed up late.
ESPN is included in the “Sling Orange” channel package, but neither NBC Sports Philadelphia nor Fox Sports Indiana are included with Sling. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of either or both, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
The 76ers look almost lifeless at times starting 6-5. Their offense has been dreadful to start the year.
They have the most turnovers in the league — nobody saw that coming, imagining Simmons would improve in his second year as a starter — and are 24th in shooting percentage (44%). Dario Saric is really struggling, shooting 34% from the field and 23% from three.
The spacing on the floor for them has been a huge problem, especially when Fultz and Simmons share the floor. Simmons refuses to shoot outside the paint, a trait one would imagine he would’ve attempted to learn by now, and Fultz continues to struggle shooting, only 39% from the field and 30% from three on a paltry 1.2 attempts per game. Fultz’s shooting is so bad the Brooklyn Nets crowd mocked him by chanting “Jayson Tatum,” ironically a pick the Nets traded to the Boston Celtics…
Luckily for Philly, Joel Embiid continues to be one of the most dominant players in basketball on both ends of the floor, averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while being one of the best rim protectors. Embiid will keep this team afloat until Brown figures it out.
The Pacers continue to impress, starting the season right where they left off last season.
The Pacers are third in points allowed and fifth in defensive rating, all thanks to a hounding style incorporated by head coach Nate McMillan. Victor Oladipo continues to lead the charge for Indiana; he is a budding superstar wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor. After being selected to his first All-Star team in 2017-18, the sky remains the limit for Oladipo, who is averaging 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game this season.
The Pacers are fifth in field goal percentage% and sixth in three-point percentage. Domantas Sabonis is averaging 13.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in only 23 minutes per game, a bright spot on Indiana’s front line. It’s only a matter of time before the Pacers are forced to start him instead of Myles Turner.
Tyreke Evans has proven to be a solid addition in free agency, shooting 44% from three on 3.4 attempts per game. Evans will continue to be the important scorer on the second unit for Indiana.