Pacers short-handed on a quick turnaround against a 76ers side with its own back questions

Philadelphia arrives at 10-3 and second in the Eastern Conference, hosting an Indiana team that is 5-8 and 10th. The 76ers have won all five recent meetings between the clubs, so the record points firmly one way. The question is whether that history and the standings gap hold up given who is available on each side and how Indiana has been playing lately.

The series is one-sided but not always lopsided. Philadelphia won 114-109 at Indiana on October 28, the tightest of the five. The others were 105-94 and 135-114 in Indiana, then 113-104 and 115-105 in Philadelphia. Every one of those was a double-digit win except the latest, which suggests Indiana can keep this competitive. Still, five straight losses to the same opponent is a consistent pattern, not noise.

Indiana's biggest absence is Tyrese Haliburton. His hamstring injury was reported on November 11 as keeping him out at least 10 more days, so he is expected to miss this game. Johnny Furphy is also out, and Ben Sheppard is out for months after meniscus surgery. Aaron Nesmith is day-to-day after leaving Friday's game in the final seconds with an apparent hand or wrist injury. He scored 18 points in that 106-104 win over the Knicks, so his status matters to the Pacers' scoring.

Indiana's recent form is better than its record. It beat the Knicks 106-104 in an NBA Cup game on Friday and the Wizards 114-101 on Wednesday, and it has covered the spread three straight times. The caveat is the schedule: the Pacers played Friday night and tip off here Sunday at 1:00 PM ET. A narrow win in a close game is also less convincing evidence of strength than a comfortable one.

Philadelphia has its own roster questions. LeBron James is day-to-day with a back problem and was out Thursday against Toronto, where the 76ers still won 123-112. That result suggests the team can handle a night without him, though it is one game. Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow are both out with back injuries, so frontcourt depth is thinner than usual. Philadelphia has also gone over the total in three straight games, a streak that describes recent scoring but predicts nothing by itself.

Overall, most of the evidence favors Philadelphia: the standings, the five-game series run and Indiana's missing lead guard. Pointing the other way are Indiana's three straight covers, its two recent wins, and the Sixers' uncertainty around James and their big men. The picture is a clear gap in record and head-to-head results, narrowed somewhat by form and the Sixers' own injury concerns.