LeBron James moves into third on NBA career assist list as 76ers beat Pacers
LeBron James had 11 assists and moved into third on the NBA's career assist list, and he added 15 points and six rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Indiana Pacers 131-124 on Sunday.
James, who turns 42 next month, dished one to VJ Edgecombe in the fourth quarter for assist 12,092 to pass Jason Kidd on the career list. John Stockton and Chris Paul are 1-2 in NBA history.
Jaylen Brown scored 31 points and Tyrese Maxey added 27 for the Sixers. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 31 points and former Sixer Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16.
James continued an early habit in his first season with the Sixers in picking his spot to take control of a game. This one came in the third quarter, right after Sixers fans went wild when seldom-used 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall checked into the game. James immediately went to work picking apart the Pacers and scored eight straight points to give them an 82-73 lead.
Fall was a factor. Signed ahead of training camp for backcourt depth, Fall almost immediately strained his left hip and missed the preseason. Coach Nick Nurse said ahead of Sunday's game he still thought the fan-favorite Fall could help the Sixers, but that he had “see him out there, some form,” and that “I might just have to take that leap.”
Fall helped in that pivotal third quarter stretch for James. Fall grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a possession where James would sink two from the free-throw line. James then added a near-uncontested driving layup because of a perfect screen from Fall. James added a 20-footer and a dunk during the run.
Fall grabbed two offensive rebounds in 3 minutes. His final stat line with no points in 5 minutes might be easy to overlook — unlike the towering Fall — but he had a major impact in pushing the Sixers to 11-3.
Joel Embiid sat out for the Sixers in the first set of back-to-back games. A two-time NBA scoring champion, Embiid should return to the lineup Monday at Brooklyn. James is another veteran who generally does not play in back-to-back games and seemed poised to take his turn sitting out against the Nets.
James took a hard foul when he drove the lane against Oubre in the first quarter. James clutched his left wrist for a moment but appeared to show no ill-effects the rest of the game.
