An extremely short-handed Philadephia 76ers team fought the good fight. But the Sixers went down to the New Orleans Pelicans, who could not seem to miss in the fourth quarter.
On a bittersweet day in Philadelphia sports, the city had hoped that a Joel Embiid–DeMarcus Cousins matchup would bring an exciting distraction. Even though Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers brought some highlight plays, it was not to be since Embiid was ruled out just before tip-off with back tightness.
The trio of big men who were tasked to replace Embiid filled in admirably. Trevor Booker brought the hustle. Richaun Holmes added explosivness. Amir Johnson contributed solid defense and steady finishes at the rim. They combined for 44 points and 23 rebounds.
One could say the Sixers had a Vincent Adultman at center tonight. If you stacked the three of them up they made one Joel Embiid.
After being down 11 at halftime, the 76ers were able to battle back and take an eight-point lead heading into the fourth on the back of some timely 3-point shooting and good defense. The Sixers bench made all the difference for the Sixers in the third, which is not something I believed possible after the last week of basketball.
Furkan Korkmaz was able to provide a spark and a super reverse transition dunk. J.J. Redick led the 76ers in points and had his stroke going all night to keep the Sixers in it.
The fourth quarter meant the return of New Orleans’ starters, and they quickly made back the deficit from the third quarter with an 18-4 run. Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis combined for three straight 3-point shots to build an insurmountable lead.
Some incredible shot-making by Holiday staved off a late run by the Sixers. He just could not miss from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. All in all, it was an admirable effort from the Sixers, who were down a full lineup of players. (Embiid, Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz, T.J. McConnell and Justin Anderson)
A Processy Feel
With the mountain of injuries facing the Sixers on the night, many 76er fans probably had some flashbacks to 2014 or 2015. A G-Leaguer named Furkan contributed 20 minutes, a 2nd rounder in Richaun Holmes made some eye-popping plays and egregious fouls, and the Sixers built a third quarter lead against a team’s bench only to see it slip away when the opposing team kicked into another gear.
Speaking of that second round pick Richaun Holmes, I think it is time give the uber-athetic forward more consistent minutes even when Joel Embiid returns. The defense from Richaun looked more disciplined tonight despite some sloppy fouls. He had to take Boogie and Anthony Davis one-on-one a few times and won one or two of those battles. The injection of veteran Trevor Booker does complicate the situation.
Maybe a solution when Embiid gets back could be dialing back some of the star’s minutes when possible. Embiid’s back stiffness is not something to be ignored, nor is the possible wear and tear on JoJo after not practicing for all of the preseason.
Next: Should the Sixers trade Amir Johnson?
Regardless of the back up center position minutes conundrum, all NBA and Philadelphia fans alike are just hoping for a positive update on Joel’s status ahead of a duel with Karl-Anthony Towns on Tuesday.
Previous recaps
L, Cleveland Cavaliers 105, Philadelphia 76ers 98
L, Los Angeles Lakers 107, Philadelphia 76ers 104
L, Phoenix Suns 115, Philadelphia 76ers 101