76ers Vs Pelicans: Pelicans 126, 76ers 111 — Third-Quarter Collapse Sends Philadelphia to Fourth Straight Loss
In Saturday's 76ers vs pelicans matchup, New Orleans beat Philadelphia 126-111, handing the Sixers their fourth straight defeat and leaving Philadelphia sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. The loss extended the Sixers' struggles without Joel Embiid and highlighted a decisive second-half swing that decided the game.
76ers Vs Pelicans: How the game turned
The Sixers led from late in the first quarter until the final two minutes of the third, holding advantages as large as 11 points, but New Orleans erased the margin and took control down the stretch. Jeremiah Fears' free throws put the Pelicans back in front at 91-89 in the third quarter. New Orleans surged to a 97-91 lead by the end of three quarters and opened the fourth on a 23-8 run, capped by Jordan Poole's three-pointer that made the score 120-99 with 5: 20 remaining. New Orleans remained comfortably in front from there, and Poole's late three-pointers effectively ended any chance of a Sixers comeback.
Final 21 minutes and late scoring bursts
The Pelicans outscored the Sixers 60-35 during the final 21 minutes of the game. Another breakdown of the second half shows New Orleans outscoring Philadelphia 40-26 in the third and 29-20 in the fourth, illustrating how the momentum swung decisively after halftime.
Key contributors for New Orleans and Philadelphia
- Jordan Poole — 23 points with five three-pointers; his perimeter shooting was instrumental in the late run.
- Zion Williamson — 21 points for New Orleans.
- Saddiq Bey — 20 points for New Orleans.
- DeAndre Jordan — credited with 15 rebounds and four blocked shots; also noted elsewhere as producing six points, 15 rebounds and four blocks while finishing plus-13 in 31 minutes. Context indicates this was only his third game of the season and that he had not played since Oct. 29. He is described both as a 17-year veteran center and as an 18-year veteran who is 37 years old.
- Karlo Matkovic — provided a corner three, hit three free throws after being fouled on another deep shot, and produced nine points during a 40-point stretch for New Orleans; his sequence began with a cutting dunk on which he was fouled.
- Tyrese Maxey — 27 points and seven assists for Philadelphia; he shot 2-for-11 from three in the game and is 6-for-22 from deep combined in the first two games after the All-Star break.
- Kelly Oubre Jr. — 25 points for Philadelphia.
- VJ Edgecombe — 14 points and five rebounds for Philadelphia.
- Quentin Grimes — 11 points for Philadelphia.
- Dominick Barlow — nine points and five rebounds for Philadelphia.
- Jabari Walker — nine points and six rebounds for Philadelphia.
Shotmaking, halftime adjustments and concerns
The Sixers shot just 31. 4% in the second half and were 3-for-24 from three-point range, missing 21 of 24 attempts from deep. That poor shooting after halftime magnified an ongoing third-quarter issue for Philadelphia: inability to sustain offense and defense after the break. With 26 games left in the season, coach Nick Nurse and the team face pressure to find ways to be effective after halftime.
Context and what comes next for the Sixers
The loss dropped Philadelphia to 30-26 on the season and extended their skid to four straight losses. The defeat continued the team's struggles without Joel Embiid; the Sixers have lost eight of their last nine games in which Embiid did not play. Philadelphia opened a three-game road trip on Saturday and will look to rebound on a back-to-back when they visit Minnesota on Sunday night (7 p. m. ). Questions have emerged about how best to free up Tyrese Maxey — who has been asked to play heavy minutes and multiple roles — after New Orleans used physical defense to harass him throughout the game.
Overall, the loss highlighted New Orleans' late-game execution, New Orleans' adjustment to a bigger starting look, and Philadelphia's continuing halftime struggles, leaving the Sixers with immediate tactical and personnel questions as their road trip continues.
