The Philadelphia 76ers desperately need to find a way to win without Joel Embiid.
The former NBA MVP is slated to miss another game Saturday when the slumping Sixers visit the New Orleans Pelicans.
Philadelphia has lost seven of the last eight games that Embiid has missed. Included in that stretch are two straight lopsided losses before the All-Star break and a 117-107 home defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in the team’s return to the court.
In the setback against Atlanta, the Sixers shot 38.4% from the field and made just 11 of 33 from 3-point range. Andre Drummond started in Embiid’s place and recorded 10 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to fill Embiid’s big shoes.
“We miss Joel. It’s that simple,” said rookie guard VJ Edgecombe. “He’s a walking 30 points.”
While Embiid nurses knee and shin injuries, Tyrese Maxey faces more pressure to carry the offense. He scored 28 points against Atlanta but shot just 8 of 23 from the field. Edgecombe contributed 20 points and nine boards, while Kelly Oubre Jr. pitched in with 17 points.
As a team, the Sixers managed only 17 assists, including just nine by their starters.
“It didn’t feel like we were creating a lot of offense for each other tonight,” coach Nick Nurse said.
Prior to the game, Nurse shined a bright light on Embiid’s absence, noting: “I don’t anticipate it being a long time. I’m pretty optimistic about it.”
Saturday’s game is the opener of a three-game road trip for the Sixers, who will visit the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers before heading back to Philadelphia.
New Orleans, meanwhile, is in the midst of a five-game homestand. The team absorbed a 139-118 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday despite 32 points from Zion Williamson and 22 from Saddiq Bey.
The Pelicans allowed the Bucks to score at least 32 points in every quarter, including a lopsided 36-22 margin in the fourth quarter as they fell to 15-42, tied for the second-worst record in the NBA.
“It’s the defense,” said New Orleans interim coach James Borrego. “We’ve been saying this for a number of times. And we’ve been trending well. It’s disappointing that we came out this way when the focus the last two days in practice, which had been good, has been on the defensive end. We just didn’t get it done tonight. Bottom line.”
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, who averages 22.1 points on 37.8% 3-point shooting, missed the game with a shoulder injury. Without Murphy, New Orleans shot a woeful 4 of 25 from long distance against Milwaukee.
Herbert Jones was 0 for 6 from 3-point range versus the Bucks and is just 3 of 21 from beyond the arc over his last four games.
“He’s a massive part of our offense,” Borrego said in reference to Murphy’s absence. “We missed him, but we’ve got to find other ways to score.”
New Orleans had won four straight meetings with Philadelphia before dropping a 124-114 road decision on Jan. 31 in the teams’ first matchup of the season. Embiid had 40 points and 11 rebounds in that contest, while Bey led the Pelicans with 34 points.
