Player grades: Sixers fall to Pelicans as losing streak extends to 4
· Yahoo Sports
The Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday to begin a 3-game road trip needing a win. The Sixers entered on a 3-game losing skid--tying their longest of the season--and needed to get something moving in the right direction with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined.
The Pelicans, the owners of the second-worst record in the league, used a big third quarter to build a double-digit lead and eventually walk away with a 126-111 win. The Sixers have now lost four in a row overall and have lost eight of their last nine games in which Embiid doesn't play. New Orleans received 23 points from Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson had 21, and Saddiq Bey added 20.
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Tyrese Maxey had 27 points and seven assists for Philadelphia while Kelly Oubre Jr. had 25 points and VJ Edgecombe had 14 points and five rebounds. Quentin Grimes had 11, Dominick Barlow added nine and five rebounds, and Jabari Walker had nine and six rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the loss:
Tyrese Maxey: B
It was another tough start for Maxey as he was unable to get much going in terms of his shooting. He missed a lot of open looks in the early going as it appeared his legs just weren’t there from the start in this one. To his credit, he made a lot of plays with his passing to get teammates involved as he made a positive impact on the offensive end. He stayed with it in terms of his shot and found a rhythm in the second quarter to help the Sixers build their lead. Overall, Maxey shook off the slow start and was able to put together another solid outing to lead this group.
VJ Edgecombe: B-minus
The rookie flashed a lot of elite playmaking in this one. His passing and vision were fantastic to see as he continues to take that next step forward. The Pelicans are near the bottom of the league in defensive rating and had a tough time staying in front of Edgecombe as he was constantly in the paint creating offense either for himself or for others. He made some tough fadeaway jumpers in the mid-range that were impressive as ever. He was also tough on the defensive end as he gave New Orleans some trouble on the perimeter and forced its guards into tough looks.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: B
The overall starting unit for Philadelphia got off to a slow start, but Oubre gave the Sixers some consistent scoring. He knocked down some tough shots and got to the free-throw line to get the scoreboard moving early. The veteran out of Kansas was able to knock down some open 3s generated by Maxey and Edgecombe getting into the paint which continues to be a big help for Philadelphia on the perimeter. He was a consistent source of offense all night and he made some cagey, veteran-like plays by getting into the paint and drawing fouls to get to the line.
Dominick Barlow: C-plus
Barlow was active and all over the place in this one. He protected the rim with some timely blocks, helped on the glass, and had some nice finishes as well. There were a lot of positive things the big man did in this one as he was in the right spots on both ends of the floor. There were a few moments when he drove into traffic to try and make things happen, but he also didn’t get the benefit of the whistle on some of those drives.
Andre Drummond: D-plus
The Sixers received the usual from Drummond. The 14-year veteran out of UConn was helpful on the glass and finished around the basket to give Philadelphia a presence in the paint. The Pelicans started something of a jumbo lineup with DeAndre Jordan joining Derik Queen and Zion Williamson, but Drummond led a strong charge against the big lineup for New Orleans. Overall, though, Jordan ended up having a big night for New Orleans as he made a difference in the paint in 2026. That can’t happen.
Quentin Grimes: B-minus
The Sixers needed a lift from this bench unit in this one and Grimes gave it. He hopped off the bench and gave Philadelphia a couple of 3s to start the night. The Sixers have been pleading with him to shoot those open opportunities he has received within this offense and he obliged against these Pelicans. However, as the game wore on, he was unable to keep things moving in a positive direction as he struggled to convert on the looks he received.
Adem Bona: C-minus
The athletic big man hopped off the bench and was flying around in his initial stint. He attacked the glass with aggression, protected the rim and forced New Orleans into some tougher looks. His defensive presence was a big help in this one. With that being said, he committed a number of head-scratching fouls which limited his effectiveness at times.
Jabari Walker: B
The night for Walker started with him walking into an open triple from the wing to give Philadelphia a spark in terms of offense. The starting unit got off to a sluggish start and the second unit entered and found a groove on the offensive end. He knocked down another 3 in the third and was a positive impact player all night long.
Cam Payne: C-minus
The initial stint for Payne was a good one. He knocked down an open 3 and had a steal while being a reliable ball-handler for the second unit. Outside of the 3-pointer, though, it was another rough shooting night for the veteran. He will get some slack, though, when considering this is just his second game back after playing in Serbia.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Sixers fall to Pelicans as losing streak extends to 4