Another Sixers game that was way closer than it needed to be. Despite a late push by the New Orleans Pelicans, the 76ers hold on for a 109-107 win. Philly was up by 16 going into the second half, but the bench unit gave up an embarrassing 37-18 third quarter before the starters had to clean up the mess. 

The referees were no help either. There were numerous botched calls in the closing minutes. One of which was an out-of-bounds save that landed in Embiid’s hands, which was overturned into a jump ball. An eight-second violation by the Sixers gave the Pelicans the ball with 10 seconds to go, but Philly caused a turnover to close out the game.

Mike Scott should never play a single minute for the Philadelphia 76ers ever again. Over his last six games, Scott has shot a brutal 25% from the field and has provided zero help on defense. The 76ers signed Anthony Tolliver for the rest of the season last week. Why are they leaving him out of the rotation? Did he disappear? 

For the starting five, this was an excellent performance outside the final minutes. Joel Embiid had 37 points and 13 rebounds on over 50% shooting but was quiet for most of the fourth. Despite that, he showed up when needed most, and that’s what matters. Seth Curry shot 4/8 from deep, leading the team from three, and Ben Simmons was just two points and a rebound away from a triple-double.

The backcourt combination of Eric Bledsoe and Lonzo Ball kept the Pelicans in this game with a combined 36 points while Jaxson Hayes exploded off the bench for 19 points and three blocks. Philadelphia’s magic number for the #1 seed is now 3 as they currently sit at 46-21 on the season. New Orleans falls to 30-37, and their playoff chances continue to dwindle. The 76ers are back in action tomorrow night, hosting the Detroit Pistons at 7:00.

Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports