The Philadelphia 76ers came into tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans looking to build some momentum from their short handed win against the Wizards, which improved their record to 15-20. The Pelicans came into tonight’s matchup 7-31, looking to try to salvage their season anyway they can.
The Sixers, looking to climb out of the early hole they dug themselves in, need every win they can get, especially against one of the worst teams in the league record-wise. Of course, the Sixers have dealt with injuries since before the season started, with player including their stars in and out of the lineup.
Tonight was no different, with Joel Embiid, Kyle Lowry, Andre Drummond, KJ Martin, and Jared McCain(season) all out. Paul George missed Wednesday’s game and was probable for tonight’s contest and went through pregame workouts before starting.
The Pelicans may be the only other team in the NBA that has had worse injury luck than the Sixers. Brandon Ingram has missed a ton of time, Dejounte Murray broke his hand early in the season and missed about a month, and CJ McCollum has been in and out of the lineup as well. Zion Williamson missed the start of the season, played for the first time earlier this week against the Timberwolves, and was expected to play tonight until he was suspended pregame for breaking team rules.
Game recap
The first quarter started out a brickfast for both teams, with neither team scoring in the first couple of minutes. The Sixers started the quarter 5/16, while the Pels started 4/13, respectively. That didn’t last long for the Pels as CJ McCollum turned back the clock to his Portland Trail Blazer days, scoring every which way. He had 18 first-quarter points, shooting three-pointers and hitting floaters. While McCollum was doing damage, Maxey had some struggles late in the quarter, which led to a four-point lead for the Pels after one.
The second-quarter shooting was much better for the Sixers early in the frame. They continued to miss wide-open shots, and New Orleans capitalized. They were able to build an eight-point lead while Paul George and the home team struggled. With Paul George in foul trouble, Ricky Council stepped up and provided a spark offensively for 11 points.
Adem Bona also brought energy and defense to the court with a solid block at the rim that turned away center Yves Missi. Sixers crept back into the game and even grabbed a one-point lead, but CJ McCollum returned from the bench and stabilized the scoring for his team. The Sixers took a 6-point deficit into halftime, hoping to get more from Maxey and Paul George.
The third quarter was a game of runs with the Sixers coming out a fighting to take a two point lead with seven minutes remaining. The Pels then went on a run of their own and increase their lead to nine points. There were some nice moments for the Sixers but McCollum and Pels seemed to hit every shot including the difficult ones.
The fourth quarter started with the majority of the bench for the Pelicans, but the Sixers couldn’t capitalize. Jose Alvarado picked the team’s pick-and-roll defense and seemed to make them pay on every possession. New Orleans’ Jordan Hawkins also went off in a quarter to help the Pelicans build a 16-point lead.
Paul George and company tried to make a late push, but it was too little too late. The Sixers lose to the lowly Pelicans 123-115. The Pelicans were led by CJ McCollum, who jumped in a time machine, scored 38 points, and hit six three-pointers. Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points and had 12 assists, while Paul George had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The missing link
Paul George’s struggles continued in this game against the Pelicans. Not only did he struggle shooting early on, but he got into foul trouble and had to sit for the final seven minutes of the first half. Frustration is almost at a boiling point for George, and you could tell in this game. The injuries, poor shooting, and foul trouble have plagued him, and fans are trying to be as patient as they can.
With Joel Embiid not in the lineup, this team REALLY needs more from George on a consistent basis. After a tough first half, George did turn it on in the second half, but it was a little too late. He crashed the glass well all game, with his three-pointer getting good late third/early fourth quarters. Sooner rather than later, the excuses will dry up for him and this team.
Sleepwalking
It feels like this team has slept-walked through a lot of games this season and doesn’t play with enough urgency nightly. With the hole they dug themselves in, they can’t have nights like this where defense seemed optional.
The Sixers had trouble guarding the pick-and-roll, closing out on shooters, and figuring out who was guarding the ball handler after making buckets. They also struggled in zone, allowing the opponent to get extra possessions from offensive rebounds. If this team wants to climb out of the basement, it has to win games like tonight.
