After a loss in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the bayou on Friday looking to bounce back against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are no slouch as they entered the night tied for the No. 1 seed in the West and they showed why they’ve been having success in this one.
The Sixers opened up a 10-point lead in the first quarter thanks to Joel Embiid, then the Pelicans stormed back and led by as many as 17 and led for the majority of the second half on their way to a 127-116 win. CJ McCollum went bonkers and had 42 points on a career-high 11 3-pointers made while Zion Williamson had 36 points. The 11 triples by McCollum are also a New Orleans franchise record.
Joel Embiid was once again dominant as he led the Sixers with 37 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, James Harden had 20 points and 10 assists, De’Anthony Melton had 11 points, and Tobias Harris had 14 and five rebounds. Georges Niang added eight and Tyrese Maxey made his return from an 18-game injury absence to have nine points.
Here are the player grades following the loss: