Getty Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans passes past Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center on January 02, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers got their revenge by taking down the Pelicans in their first game of the New Year. The 120-111 victory came just three days after suffering a loss to New Orleans in frustrating fashion. This is a notable win for the Sixers as the Pelicans have established themselves as legitimate threats in the Western Conference with their 23-14 record. The biggest impact in securing the win came from stopping Zion Williamson, who finished with 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds while shooting 10-of-12 from the field.
Following the victory, Doc Rivers was asked about the former number-one overall pick. He had some strong praise for Williamson and put it, “I mean, listen, it’s like guarding a fast Shaq. He’s tough…He’s just a tough guy to guard,” per Sam DiGiovanni of ClutchPoints.
Zion cruising through traffic 🚗
Williamson’s Hamstring Injury Turns the Tide
The game did take a turn in the third quarter when Williamson pulled up lame with a hamstring injury. The Duke product found his stride in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the period, before he was forced out of the game. Williamson was ruled out with a hamstring strain shortly after and missed the entire fourth quarter.
Looks like a hamstring for Zion. Depending on the severity, this can really swing New Orleans’ bid for home court. Top 9 teams are within 4.5 games of each other. Hoping it’s just a minor injury.
In his absence, the Sixers took control. Philadelphia outscored the Pelicans 36-30 in the fourth quarter as well as added two points in the 24 seconds remaining in the third after Williamson checked out. The Pelicans’ offense struggled without Williamson and it was a sigh of relief for the Sixers to get a break from his impressive physicality.
However, it is worth noting the Sixers did an improved job on the 22-year-old compared to their matchup on Friday. Rivers was also complimentary of the team’s effort and put it, “I thought the game plan of bringing Joel (Embiid) over and making him skip it, we did a much better job today on him than we did in the first game, for sure. Even though he still played—he’s tough,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
Several members of the Sixers took on the brave challenge of attempting to take a charge from the 284-pounder. Joel Embiid succeeded in this and both P.J. Tucker and Georges Niang also deserve a ton of credit for putting their bodies on the line.
Sixers Defensive Ability
On the season as a whole, the Sixers rank third in the NBA in defensive rating. The 108.2 points per game they are allowing on the season ranks second in the league and they are holding opponents to just 46.2% shooting from the field which is the eighth-best rate.
There are still some areas of concern Philadelphia must work on. They rank 27th in the NBA in fast-break points allowed as well as dead last in total rebounding percentage. Their 8.1 offensive rebounds per game rank 28th in the league. Typically a team is either good at offensive rebounding or transition defense, as they either commit to getting back on defense or competing for additional possessions. It is not ideal that the Sixers are not overly impressive in either category and this will be something to keep an eye on moving forward.
This is atrocious defense from the Sixers in transition. Both Maxey and Thybulle not guarding anyone.
The other question the team still needs to answer is if they are capable of matching up with the opposing team’s top perimeter options. While the performance against Williamson was notable, most of this impact was done by packing the paint and preventing him from driving. It was more impactful in deterring shots than stopping him, and Williamson still ended the matchup with 26 points. When it matters most in the playoffs, the Sixers will be tasked with shutting down players such as Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell. This type of strategy will not work against scorers as gifted as these all-stars.
This is where Tucker will truly be put to the test with De’Anthony Melton set to handle the responsibilities in some matchups as well. The Sixers started the season with the goal of being an elite defensive team. While they still have some areas to improve, there has been progress in this identity taking shape.