PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the New Orleans Pelicans looking to get back on track. The Sixers entered the contest on a two-game losing skid after a collapse in the fourth quarter two games in a row and were looking to bounce back against a tough Pelicans team.
However, when considering the way New Orleans has been playing combined with the fact the Sixers are still missing Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, De’Anthony Melton, Nic Batum, and Robert Covington, Philadelphia didn’t have much of a chance. New Orleans used a steady diet of Zion Williamson, Naji Marshall, and Brandon Ingram to get the job done in this one.
The Pelicans jumped out to a 35-point lead in the first half and never relinquished the lead. The Sixers worked their way back into the game with a spirited comeback effort, but fell 103-95 for their third consecutive loss. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 20 points and seven rebounds, Paul Reed had 17 points and 11 boards, Tobias Harris added 21 and 10 boards, and Kyle Lowry had six and seven assists. Cam Payne added 13 points.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Making his return to the lineup, Lowry had a tough time with the length that the Pelicans offer. He wasn’t able to get into the paint too often and had a tough time getting any clean looks either for himself or his teammates. He also had a tough time on the defensive end trying to be physical with New Orleans’ perimeter players. Overall, he at least was able to rack up some assists as Philadelphia got into a flow better after halftime.
What a tough night. Hield couldn’t buy a bucket in this one. Of course, the Pelicans keyed in on him and made life tough for him every time he touched the ball, but even when he did get a semi-clean look, he wasn’t able to convert. He even had a good look at the basket for a fastbreak layup and wasn’t able to convert on that one either. It was just a miserable night for the shooter.
Somebody needed to step in and provide the scoring the Sixers are missing at the moment. Taking shots is something Oubre will always provide. He is an aggressive player who can score in bunches and he gave something on that end of the floor in this one. He wasn’t very efficient with his shot, but the Sixers will take his offense from this contest.
On a night where the Sixers really needed Harris to lead the way if they were going to have any chance in this one, he wasn’t able to find his rhythm. The Sixers were looking to get him going a bit, but he wasn’t able to finish off any of his clean looks. His effort was there, but not the results. He at least was helpful on the glass so he contributed in those areas.
Getting the start in this one due to the size of the Pelicans, Bamba gave a good effort, but he was unable to make a real impact in this one. He was a bit slow on the defensive end and couldn’t get going on offense around the basket either. Overall, there were some solid defensive moments for him as he was able to make something happen, but it was a tough night.
The initial run for Reed didn’t produce many pretty results, but the energy was welcomed in this one. He showed some fight and attacked the boards as much as he could against a taller Pelicans team and gave an honest effort for this group. On a night where not much went right for Philadelphia, it was good to see some fight in this one. He knocked down a triple off the bench and gave something in the scoring department.
Payne ended an otherwise awful first quarter by knocking down a tough bucket at the buzzer. Other than that, he didn’t offer up much resistance on the defensive end and, while he was able to get some buckets to fall, it just wasn’t enough on a night when very little went right for Philadelphia.
Unfortunately for Martin, he had to be matched up with Williamson off the bench and those were tough possessions despite his own size and strength. Then on the offensive end, he missed a bunny and then air-balled a triple try.
The rookie got some run in the second quarter and had to be matched up with Ingram. The Pelicans star drew a foul on him in his first possession and Council IV wasn’t able to convert on the offensive end with his looks.
The initial run for Dowtin didn’t produce much. He had a tough time really getting anything done on the offensive end and his small stature didn’t lead to much defensive success either.