The Philadelphia 76ers have followed an eight-game winning streak with a two-game skid following a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. They played well offensively shooting 56%, but their defense let them down and they turned the ball over too many times.
They allowed Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum to have a huge night: 42 points and a career-high and franchise-record 11 3s. The Sixers could not keep track of him, and it really cost them.
“Listen, McCollum was great tonight,” coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “He got a lot of those in transition.”
McCollum and the Pelicans scored 30 points off 19 Philadelphia turnovers, allowing them to earn the win despite another monster performance from Joel Embiid.
“We gave up 30 points off 19 turnovers,” Rivers continued. “We gave up another 14 points off offensive rebounds. That’s 44 points before you even start the game. That’s like spotting the team 44 points and then saying ‘Now, let’s play.’ You’re not gonna win that game. I thought early on, we guarded him well, and he got going.”
Philadelphia started the game well. They built a 10-point lead in the first quarter, but New Orleans stormed back and led by 17 in the first half. The Sixers never seriously challenged in the second half. They just made too many mistakes.
“I thought we started the game out well,” Rivers finished. “We got a good lead, and then the second group struggled a little bit for us, I thought that was the turning point of the game. Then, I really thought just the turnovers, we never could get a rhythm, and they were throughout the game. It would be great if it was one stretch. It just never stopped.”
The Sixers look to finish the road trip on a high note when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.
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