Who: New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ers
When: Friday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m ET
Where: Wells Fargo Center
How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans
The Pelicans’ current losing streak could not come at a worse time. After a loss to league-best Milwaukee on Wednesday, New Orleans faces the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference in Philadelphia on Friday.
Without Zion Williamson and Derrick Favors, the Pelicans have lacked defense at the rim for much of the current losing streak. Over the last 10 games, the Pelicans are 28th in the league in defending the rim.
The Sixers have the perfect combination to exploit that. On the season, Philadelphia is fifth in the league in field goal percentage at the rim at 64.7 percent with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid leading the charge.
Philadelphia also has a shooting percentage of 43.9 percent on corner three-pointers, the second-best mark on the year, while also shooting the fourth-best percentage on three-pointers overall in the league at 38.1 percent. New Orleans allows the 10th-most corner three-pointers while also being 26th in defending the three-point line.
On paper, one of the few areas the Pelicans could exploit in the match-up comes on corner three-pointers on the other end of the court. New Orleans shoots 42.6 percent on those shots, the third-best mark in the league. Philadelphia gives up the fewest corner three-pointers but teams shoot 43.0 percent on those shots, ranking Philly 24th in the league in defending that specific shot.
It’s a very, very small light on what has been a dark time in New Orleans as they look for an improbable upset to end their losing streak.