GRADES: Sixers’ sloppy loss to Zion and Pelicans

The last time Joel Embiid played against Steven Adams, his finger got mangled. This game would feature a cast of frontcourt players who bang down low and two teams that rely on inside scoring far more often than perimeter scoring.

This is the only game the Sixers and Pelicans will play this season. Both teams’ young stars made it a highly anticipated matchup.

As expected, the game started off physical, with New Orleans crashing the offensive glass. They scored on multiple put backs to keep the game close, while Joel Embiid made an effort to get to the line. New Orleans’ starting center, Steven Adams, got into foul trouble early trying to stop Embiid in the post. That just gave the Pelicans’ other young bigs a chance to grab offensive rebounds and attack the rim.

As Embiid went to work on the block, the rest of the Sixers struggled to execute the offense. Harris could not get his shot to fall early, while Ben Simmons was careless with his passing. Someone would have to step up and produce points as the Pelicans dominated the offensive boards. The bench stepped in and gave a boost of points.

Shake Milton hit pull up jumpers, and Matisse Thybulle drove to the lane multiple times and scored. Mike Scott hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key, while Dwight Howard got a putback layup of his own. Furkan Korkmaz missed several tough shots but finally nailed a couple of shots from long distance.

The first half was a defensive battle, keeping the score low. Stan Van Gundy relied on his scrappy front court to match the Sixers, but the lead changes went back and forth the entire first half. If the 76ers would pull away in the second half, they would need more contributions from Danny Green and Seth Curry, who were ineffective on offense in the first two quarters.

Coming out of the half, the 76ers did a better job keeping the Pelicans off the glass, but players like Ingram, Williamson, and Bledsoe elevated their scoring consistency. Unfortunately, the Sixers’ starters could not keep up, digging themselves in a hole going down by at least seven points. Curry could not find his shot as if it was hidden in a Where’s Waldo scene. Tobias Harris was the only starter delivering on offense in the third quarter.

The start of the fourth saw more sputtering offense from Philly, as Zion Williamson decided to add more highlights to a dunk-heavy reel. The outburst caused Doc Rivers to call a timeout after only a minute of play. Korkmaz brought his A-game in this quarter, carrying the offense with a couple of 3-pointers and a nice alley-oop to Dwight Howard.

Around the four-minute mark, Harris took matters into his own hands, sparking a run and closing the lead to just seven points. After that, it got as sloppy as a game can get on the road. It seemed like every Sixer committed a costly turnover when they were trying to climb back into the game. Out of a timeout, as the Sixers needed a big stop, Zion Williamson threw down an uncontested monster jam, which pretty much summed up the game for the 76ers. The final score was 101-94, as the Sixers dropped the first game on their current road trip.

On this night, the home team seemed to want it more. Their effort to convert in the paint, get to the line, and frustrate the Sixers’ key players was the difference in the game. It also did not help that the Sixers committed such a high number of turnovers.

26 mins |  0 pts |  3 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 0-7 FG | 0-2 3PT| 0-0 FT | 1 PF | +/- 0

This was the kind of shooting night for Curry that makes Sixers fans get an idea why Dallas was so willing to take Josh Richardson in the off-season trade. He was as cold as cold can get. No COVID excuses this time around. It seemed that Curry could do nothing right in this night.

21 mins | 9 pts | 3 reb | 2 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 4-9 FG | 1-3 3PT| 0-0 FT | 2 PF | -7

When the 76ers’ big 3 were not putting points up on the board, Milton was picking up the slack. He provided much needed scoring whenever the starters caused the team to stagnate on offense. Milton produced in a number of ways, scoring in the lane and on the perimeter.

34 mins | 23 pts | 7 reb | 3 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 7-16 FG | 2-5 3PT| 7-9 FT | 3 PF | -3

Tobias Harris had an up and down game. Frustrated at some points when his shots were not falling, but then kept the team afloat when Embiid could not connect on his jumpers. His stat line was nice, but it was not enough to help pull out a win in New Orleans.

34 mins | 10 pts | 9 reb | 6 ast | 5 stl | 1 blk | 6 TO | 3-6 FG | 0-0 3PT| 4-9 FT | 1 PF | +5

In the beginning, Simmons seemed ready to prove who was the better number one draft pick. He was not even close to winning the battle. To Simmons’ credit, he was aggressive on offense, driving the lane and drawing fouls. Yet, his six turnovers were another blemish on this night as in his recent performances. Unfortunately, he struggled from the line and could not slow down Zion Williamson. Not quite the defensive effort you’d hope for from our DPOY candidate.

31 mins |  14 pts | 9 reb | 1 ast | 0 stl | 2 blk | 3 TO | 5-16 FG | 0-3 3PT| 4-4 FT | 4 PF | +4 

On this night, Embiid did not play like an MVP candidate. His shot was not falling, and he was in foul trouble for a stretch. In the second half, he was not as prolific at the foul line, which allowed New Orleans to maintain a solid lead. Add that to some ugly turnovers, and it is no wonder that the 76ers struggled in this game.

The Sixers will have a chance to rebound on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. You can catch that game on CSN Philly at 9pm ET.