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After a hiatus of over four months, the Philadelphia 76ers finally got back to meaningful game action on Saturday night in Orlando. In the first of eight "seeding" games before postseason play gets underway, the Sixers squared off against the Indiana Pacers; a team that they were tied with record-wise heading into the evening. Given its impact on playoff positioning in the East, this game had an added level of intrigue. 

Ultimately, the Pacers pulled out a 127-121 win, thanks in large part to a career-high 53-point explosion from T.J. Warren. Warren was on fire over the course of the contest, as he connected on nine of his 12 3-point attempts, and shot 20-for-29 from the floor overall. It was an extremely impressive performance, especially considering the fact that it was the first real game that Warren played in for several months. There certainly didn't appear to be any rust there. 

Joel Embiid led the way for the Sixers, as the All-Star center posted a monster stat line of 41 points, 21 rebounds, four assists, and three blocked shots. Tobias Harris added 30 points and eight rebounds for the Sixers, who fell a full game behind the Pacers in the standings with the loss. 

While it was just one game, there was still a good amount to be gleaned from the first real look that we've had at the Sixers and Pacers since mid-March.  With that said, here are a few takeaways from Indiana's victory over Philadelphia. 

A shaky start for Philadelphia's new starting unit 

The Sixers pulled out their new-look starting lineup -- which features Shake Milton as the starting point guard and Ben Simmons as a forward -- against the Pacers, and to say things didn't start smoothly for the unit would be an understatement. Indiana outscored Philadelphia 35-29 in the first frame, and at one point went on a 17-0 run during the period. The Sixers looked lost at times on both ends of the floor as they turned the ball over and blew defensive assignments, and for them, the first quarter was capped by a sideline shouting match between Embiid and Milton. 

Milton finished the game with zero points and three turnovers in 19 minutes of action. Clearly, Philadelphia's new first five still has some kinks to work out. 

The T.J. Warren show

The Sixers had no answer for Warren all night. They tried to put their best perimeter defenders in Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle on him. They tried to send other looks at him, but ultimately none of it seemed to make a difference, as Warren had one of those nights where he just seemed to hit everything. He connected on 75 percent of his attempts from long range, and he added another 11 field goals from inside the arc. Every time the Pacers needed a basket, Warren was there to deliver. Seriously look at these highlights: 

With his output, Warren became the first Pacers player to score 50 or more points in a game since 2005. This offensive explosion was obviously a solid sign for Indiana, as they will need Warren -- and others -- to pick up the scoring in the absence of Domantas Sabonis, who could potentially miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.   

Embiid's performance a solid sign for Sixers

Though the outcome wasn't what they would have liked it to be, Joel Embiid's performance was a solid silver lining for Philadelphia. In his first game in over four months, Embiid logged 34 minutes of action, and he appeared to be in solid shape, as he was extremely active on both ends of the floor. Embiid's health and conditioning is always a hot topic when it comes to the Sixers' postseason chances, and on Saturday Embiid was at the peak of his powers. Indiana had no answer for Embiid inside, and Myles Turner ultimately fouled out of the contest trying to slow him down. In a game that the Sixers lost by six, Embiid was a +21, meaning that the Sixers outscored the Pacers by 21 points while Embiid was out on the court and they were outscored by 27 during the 14 minutes he was off of the floor. 

The Sixers clearly have some areas of the game plan that they need to work on before the postseason gets underway, but if Embiid can consistently produce like he did on Saturday night, it will be huge for their chances of making a deep run. 

Postseason seeding implications 

The loss will make it even tougher for the Sixers to catch the Pacers for the fifth seed in the East. The Sixers are now a full game behind the Pacers, who won the season series between the two teams 3-1. So, if the Sixers and Pacers finish the seeding slate with the same record, the Pacers will have the edge. 

If the seeding remains as it currently stands, the Sixers would face the Celtics in the first round of the postseason, while the Pacers would draw the Heat. The situation is fluid for now, but it will continue to come into clearer focus as the seeding slate progresses.