Zion Williamson Makes History In Pelicans Victory Over 76ers

New Orleans started strong, but had to hold on for victory against Embiid-less Sixers.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 124-114 Wednesday night in the Smoothie King Center. The victory snaps a two-game losing streak for the Pelicans, and puts them above .500 for the season. Zion Williamson made NBA history with his 33-point performance.  He became the first player in franchise history to shoot 11/11 from the floor in a game.  It's the fifth-most points scored in NBA history without missing a shot from the field.  His only miss was from the free-throw line. 

Philadelphia announced a half-hour before tip-off that reigning MVP Joel Embiid would not play due to illness.

New Orleans quickly took advantage of Embiid's absence. Jonas Valanciunas scored 10 points in the quarter, and New Orleans, as a team, scored 20 points in the paint. The return of CJ McCollum was a welcome one. McCollum scored eight points, including two three-pointers in his first action since early November. Philadelphia looked overmatched in the first quarter, with the Pelicans jumping out to a 16-point lead at one point.

Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with seven points in the opening quarter. One down moment for the Pelicans came late in the quarter when Jose Alvarado injured his ankle on a turnover. Alvarado limped to the locker room but returned later in the third quarter. New Orleans shot 77% from the field and held a 39-24 lead heading into the second quarter. 

New Orleans extended its lead to 24 points during the second quarter thanks to a balanced offensive attack. The Pelicans had four players score in double-figures, led by Zion Williamson's 16 points. New Orleans held the Sixers again to just 24 points in the quarter. One encouraging sign for the Pelicans came at the free-throw line. The Pels shot 87% from the stripe in the first half and led 68-48 at the break. 

Nov 29, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) dribbles against New Orleans Pelicans guard Dyson Daniels (11) during the first half at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The rout continued in the third quarter as the Pelicans built a 29-point lead at one point. Zion Williamson was basically unguardable as he went 10/10 from the field through three quarters and led all scorers with 29 points. Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey did his best to try to lead a Sixers comeback. He scored 12 points in the quarter to give him a team-high 27, but the New Orleans lead was still 102-81 heading into the final quarter. 

Philadelphia put a slight scare in New Orleans after cutting the Pels lead to 116-104 with three minutes left in the game. The Pelicans were forced to re-insert their starters to close the game out. Philly's run ignited with New Orleans careless ball handling. The Pels ended the game with 21 turnovers, leading to 24 points for the Sixers. Despite the sloppy ending, there were many other positives in this game.

The Pels dominated the paint against the Embiid-less Sixers. New Orleans outscored Philly 60-50 in points in the paint and outrebounded them 41-30. The Pelicans also dished out 33 assists in the victory. New Orleans stays home to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday before traveling to Chicago to face the Bulls Saturday evening.