The Sixers squeaked past the team at the bottom of the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night in the Wizards. They could not do the same Friday against the last-placed Pelicans.
New Orleans took a 123-115 win at Wells Fargo Center, improving to 8-31 this season. The Sixers fell to 15-21.
CJ McCollum scored 38 points for the Pelicans.
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Tyrese Maxey recorded 30 points and 12 assists. Paul George had 25 points and 11 rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. put up 21 points and seven boards.
The Sixers remained without Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) and Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery).
The undermanned Pelicans suspended star Zion Williamson for Friday’s game for “a violation of team policies.”
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that Embiid is still considered “day-to-day.” The seven-time All-Star practiced Thursday.
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Nurse was unsure of the timeline for Lowry’s return. He thought the veteran guard would be out more than a “day-to-day” designation would suggest but didn’t expect Lowry to be sidelined long term. Martin’s out of his walking boot but yet to return to on-court activities.
The Sixers will visit the Magic on Sunday night. Here are observations on their loss to the Pelicans:
McCollum gets hot, Maxey frigid again
After one game out with left groin tightness, George scored the night’s first basket on a lefty layup.
Both the Sixers and Pelicans had poor results early from longer distances. Each team began 0 for 5 from three-point range.
McCollum, who once drained 11 threes in a game against the Sixers, soon caught fire. The Lehigh product burned the Sixers for 18 first-quarter points, pulling New Orleans in front with slick ball handling and sweet shooting.
Maxey got himself an easy basket in the first quarter by jumping a Dejounte Murray bounce pass intended for McCollum, coasting down the floor and slamming in a lefty dunk. He also posted four assists and no turnovers in the first period.
As a shooter, Maxey had a second straight nightmarish start. Following his 3-for-14 outing from three Wednesday in the Sixers’ win over the Wizards, Maxey began 0 for 7 against New Orleans. He even air balled two late in the first quarter.
There’s something to be said for shooting your way through rough patches, but Maxey has the speed and driving ability to look elsewhere when his jumpers are so wayward. He often that did that well after the first quarter, but it's obviously quite difficult to play a great game when nothing is dropping from three-point range.
Council steps up in 2nd quarter
Unhappy about a no-call, George immediately committed a reach-in foul with 8:13 left in the second quarter. He sat until halftime and headed to the locker room with two points on 1-for-6 shooting.
The Sixers’ top first-half scorer was Ricky Council IV, who tallied 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting. He helped the Sixers stay afloat with George off the floor and Maxey struggling to make jumpers, driving downhill effectively and hitting a side-step corner three.
Council picked the right spots to attack, too. The 23-year-old forward is an intense, confident competitor who clearly feels he’s worthy of consistent rotation minutes. He chipped in eight points and five rebounds Wednesday against Washington.
“Just being on the bench, watching the game and watching film, learning a lot,” Council said after the Sixers’ practice Thursday. “I’ve been doing that the last couple of games. I’ve seen what (Nurse) likes, I’ve seen what he doesn’t like, so I was able to take that and use it. I feel like a lot of people were forcing drives — and I tend to do that myself at times — so I just wanted to get in there and make a smart play.”
The Sixers still faced a six-point halftime deficit. Maxey committed a turnover that led to a McCollum three and came up empty on a buzzer-beating jumper try. In the first half, Maxey and George combined to go 4 for 16 from the floor and 0 for 8 from three-point territory.
4th-quarter frustrations
George made his first three and the Sixers wiped out their deficit with a 10-0 spurt in the third quarter. The team’s run also featured an Oubre and-one dunk created by his own steal and two Maxey mid-range jumpers.
The Sixers' lead was short-lived. They had several deliberate, uncertain possessions against the Pelicans' zone defense and New Orleans took a 87-78 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a buzzer-beating Jose Alvarado three.
The Sixers opened the fourth quarter in a zone and fell behind by 10 points on a second-chance Brandon Boston Jr. three. Nurse called timeout and a portion of the home crowd booed after an uncontested Daniel Theis dunk.
Out of the timeout, Nurse opted to use a lineup without anything resembling a conventional center. Even with Theis still in, Council replaced Guerschon Yabusele.
The idea of that unit being dynamic offensively and switchable defensively made sense on the surface. The Sixers' defense was just not nearly good enough. Alvarado walked into a wide-open three, Oubre fouled Jordan Hawkins on a four-point play and the Pelicans extended their lead to 110-94.
George scored very well throughout the second half and ensured New Orleans didn't have a stress-free finish. An Oubre put-back layup cut New Orleans' advantage to seven points ... and Nurse then got whistled for a technical foul. Caleb Martin also picked up a technical earlier in the fourth.
Frustrating night for the Sixers in a season that has not been short on such evenings.