Sixers reach a new low with loss to woefully shorthanded Pelicans

Whenever you think it can’t get much worse for the Sixers they do something like lose to the Pelicans, who are injury-ravaged and have the worst record in the West.

It’s probably not a great sign if you can’t beat the one team who’s dealt with more injuries than you.

The Sixers lost the “who is having a more cursed season” battle 121-115 to the New Orleans Pelicans Friday night.

Tyrese Maxey shot it well from inside but struggled from deep, finishing with 30 points to lead Philadelphia. He shot 10-of-21 from the field and 2-of-9 from three.

Paul George got going in the second half, finishing with 25 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 10-of-22. Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 21. CJ McCollum led all scorers with 38.

Not only did Joel Embiid miss his third straight game to a left foot sprain, but Zion Williamson was suspended for the night for a violation of team policies. He joined Herb Jones, Trey Murphy and Brandon Ingram on New Orleans’ inactive list.

First Quarter

• Not much offense in the early going as the Sixers opened the game 1-of-8 from the floor. They got decent looks, such as wide open threes for Maxey and Guerschon Yabusele off of pick-and-pops, but all that fell early was a George layup. A 3-of-10 start for the Pelicans didn’t leave them off any better though.
• Maxey missed his first two threes but made his first shot from inside the arc: a pair of midrange jumpers with a fast break off a steal in between. Both teams could only manage five or six point spurs before clanking jumpers for minutes on end early.

• The lone player to break through this cycle was McCollum, who went for 18 points in the quarter. Even when Maxey stripped him on their last possession, the ball fell into Daniel Theis’ lap for an easy push shot. That helped lead New Orleans get out to a four-point lead after one.

Second Quarter

• It took the Sixers two and a half minutes to get on the board in the quarter as it was opened by George leading a bench unit. They were the only ones scoring during this stretch, but the ball stuck to Reggie Jackson and Jeff Dowtin Jr. a lot, and neither of them can do enough with the ball to make it worth it.
• If there’s one thing Ricky Council IV can provide it’s some energy. Back to being the first wing off the bench, he snapped a brief scoreless drought with a layup he got from a nice spin move in the post. He brought the Sixers back with another drive to the hoop as well as a trip to the free throw line, and retook the lead with a corner three coming out of a timeout.

• The offense slowed down again rather quickly, missing four of their last five shots of the half. They also turned the ball over twice in the final minutes, unaware of the defenders around them. The Pelicans took a six-point lead into the break.

Third Quarter

• A much better start to the second half for the offense. George matched some buckets from McCollum and Dejounte Murray with jumpers of his own. Yabusele and Oubre each got a basket by going right at Yves Missi. Oubre energized the defense as well with a couple of deflections that led to steals.

• One positive sign from how Maxey was scoring was him using different speeds, which he really hasn’t done a ton of. His deceleration allowed him to get past Missi for one layup, spin into an open turnaround jumper, and walk into a floater. He couldn’t buy anything from deep though as he was 0-of-7 from three through three quarters. Another lull from the offense allowed the Pelicans to get out to another lead.
• Despite threes from Jackson, George and Eric Gordon, the Pelicans still finished the quarter strong. Adem Bona made some good plays when he was able to stay home, but when the Pelicans were able to draw him out into space it led to good looks at the rim. Jose Alvarado drilled a three at the buzzer, putting the Sixers in a nine-point hole going into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

• The starters trickled back in but New Orleans continued to have a really easy time getting to the rim. There’s been some correlation this week where perimeter defense has loosened up as the offense struggles for prolonged periods of time.
• Another aspect of the defensive struggles was just poorly timed fouls. Arguing with the officials only get them technicals for their trouble. The defense was so bad that the Pelicans were extending their lead despite a really good stretch from George. He made four of his first five shots of the quarter — three of which were behind the arc.
• The Sixers gave themselves one last good chance when a George layup cut the lead under double digits. They got another bucket after stealing the inbound out of a timeout. McCollum was there to answer with a couple of threes though. The Pelicans put it away when the Sixers came up empty, then Murray pushed the lead back up to nine with a jumper. In a season filled with bad losses, this is certainly right up there at the top.
• The Sixers make a quick trip down south for their next matchup as they’ll take on the Orlando Magic Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET. They may see a returning Paolo Banchero, who played in his first game since October on Friday.