New Year, New Sixers? Sixers Vs Pelicans game recap

Sixers down the Pels 120-111 behind yet another 40 point effort from Joel Embiid.

PHILADELPHIA. PA - Just a week ago Zion Williamson and company took down a struggling Sixers club in the Big Easy, but as the calender flipped to 2023 so did the script against the Pels.

The Pelicans surprised mant this year as they jetted atop the western conference standings in the early going. With the likes of Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and one of the most promising young cores in Basketball the Pels seem poised to make a push deep into the playoffs come April. It was plain to see that the Sixers were stumped when they first met the new and improved New Orleans club, as CJ McCollum dropped a 40 burger on a beat up Philly team that was seemingly never able to keep up with the fast paced Pelicans offense.

Though the second time around things were certainly different, whether it’s something in the air at WFC or possibly some better gameplanning (something tells me it may be the latter) there were clearly some changes that were made and they paid off. Getting off to a hot start out of the gate no doubt made a world of difference for a Sixers club who have found themselves in a first quarter hole a few to many times this season. The Sixers led after every frame and nearly the entire game as Joel Embiid, James Harden, and the newly returned Tyrese Maxey imposed their will on a overwhelmed Pelicans defense.

Maxey, who had missed a little over a month with an Ankle injury proved to be a big boost off the bench as he continues on his minutes restriction. There is no question that any defense will be stretched thin when they need to account for three top scorers such as Embiid, Harden, and Maxey which was an advantage the Sixers dearly missed in last weeks loss.

With tonights win the Sixers are now winners of 10 out of their last 12 games and have quickly jetisoned into the top ranks of the Eastern Conference. And with one of the easiest January schedules in the league coming up the squad will look to jump even further into the top-5 or possibly top-3 eastern conference seeds. Next up for the Sixers will be a Wednesday night afair with the Indiana Pacers (21-17) back at WFC on a 7:00 tipoff.