PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� James Harden and the 76ers watched plenty of their bad plays on film during recent practices. The clips magnified the results on the court.
鈥淚 felt like we were 0-82,鈥� Harden said.
They don't have to worry about that now.
Harden had 29 points and 11 assists, and Joel Embiid scored 26 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their first win of the season, 120-106 over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
The Sixers started 0-3, dropping the first two games to Eastern Conference contenders Boston and Milwaukee. Embiid dropped 40 points in a loss to San Antonio as the Sixers still joined Orlando as the only East teams at 0-3.
鈥淲e've got to continue to work, continue to build really good habits and live with the results,鈥� Harden said.
Harden made 10 of 18 shots from the floor and hit two straight 3s in the fourth that pushed the lead to 109-95.
鈥淚'm trying to create the best shot available,鈥� Harden said.
The Sixers put the smack down on the Pacers from the jump and a little bit of something from everyone to cruise into the win column. The Sixers had six players each hit one 3-pointer in the first quarter. They made 12 of 22 shots in the second and raced to a 19-point lead. Harden and Tobias Harris combined for nine of Philadelphia's 19 3-pointers.
鈥淲e have a team that can shoot 3s, right? if you鈥檙e open, shoot them,鈥� Rivers said.
Harris hit four 3s and scored 18 points.
鈥淧eople don't talk about Tobias Harris enough,鈥� Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 鈥淗e's a tremendous player.鈥�
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 19 points and 10 assists. Buddy Hield had 18 points.
The good news for Philly, the Sixers didn鈥檛 need much out of Embiid. The reigning NBA scoring champion, Embiid said over the weekend his offseason were slowed by a battle of plantar fasciitis (pain under the heel and foot). Embiid said he essentially shut down all physical activity for two months headed into training camp and said he was still 鈥渢rying to work my way back.鈥�
He threw down a late in the third that woke up a quiet crowd.
鈥淚 liked his patience,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淭his is one of those games, you haven鈥檛 won a game, they were trapping him every time. He just kept moving it. There was no rush. I just liked how he approached the game.鈥�
The good news for the Sixers, their slow start was lost in the Philly sports shuffle among the Phillies trip to the World Series, the Eagles鈥� 6-0 start and the Union鈥檚 run to the Eastern Conference final.
Plus, it鈥檚 early and Rivers believed the Sixers can straighten out and contend rather than fall into a long losing streak.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen talent,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淚t just has to match and work. I just like our guys in the locker room. There鈥檚 no reason to believe the other way, personally.鈥�
Rivers, in his third season as Philadelphia鈥檚 coach, added the Sixers still have to shore up some weaknesses to become the kind of team that can make a run in the East.
鈥淲e may go on a run. Even if we do, we鈥檙e not ready yet to be that team,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just going to take time.鈥�
TIP-INS
Pacers: Made only 12 of 44 3-point attempts. ... The Pacers did have a 30-30 fourth against the 76ers but they could not stop Harden.
鈥淚 think everyone that plays Philadelphia has got to figure out what they're willing to live with,鈥� Carlisle said.
76ers: G Shake Milton made his season debut in the second quarter. Milton, once seen as a second-unit spark, is in his fifth season with the Sixers. He did not score in 6 minutes. ... G De鈥橝nthony Melton scored all of his season-high 11 points in the first half.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Continue their road with games against Chicago (Wednesday), Washington (Friday), and consecutive games in Brooklyn on Saturday and Monday.
76ers: Play consecutive games in Toronto on Wednesday and Friday.
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Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
