PREVIEW: The Philadelphia 76ers will play their final road game of the 2025-26 regular season Friday against the Indiana Pacers , a matchup carrying serious playoff implications for the visitors while representing a tanking opportunity for the hosts. Philadelphia leads the season series 3-0 , and the Sixers' defensive prowess should play a major role once again. Philadelphia boasts elite rim protection rankings (ranked 3rd in defending three-point attempts while allowing low-quality looks) and shows efficiency at the free-throw line with an 81 percent clip —strengths that could prove decisive against an undermanned Pacers roster. With Joel Embiid sidelined following appendix surgery that should keep him out for several weeks , the burden falls on secondary scorers to power Philadelphia's playoff push. Indiana, missing Tyrese Haliburton due to an Achilles tendon injury, has managed only four wins in their last 25 contests and currently hold a 19-61 record. The Pacers rank first defensively in three-point attempt frequency but struggle immensely against attacking plays at the rim, sitting 26th in that crucial category. The Sixers arrive reeling from three consecutive losses and their playoff hopes are now likely tied to the play-in tournament , making this opportunity to face a lottery-bound opponent particularly valuable. Tyrese Maxey carries the offensive load with season averages of 28.4 points while shooting 55 percent from two-point range and 36 percent from three , and he'll need to maintain that elite scoring touch to keep Philadelphia's postseason dreams alive.