New Orleans Pelicans are on a mission impossible, which is to reach the play-in spot. What makes this goal so tough is that they are behind the San Antonio Spurs and that five of the final six games Stan Van Gundy’s side plays on the road. On the other side, the 76ers are under pressure as well because they have the Nets breathing down their neck, just waiting for the slightest chance to jump over them and claim the East’s top spot.
Utah Jazz Makes a Comeback to Beat the Pelicans in the NBA Restart Opener
Pelicans at 76ers Preview
New Orleans Pelicans 30-36 TBA
Clarkson Drops 40, Simmons 42, But Jazzers Beat 76ers, 134-123
The Pels are one and a half game behind the Spurs, have a ferocious schedule, and on top of everything, they are overwhelmed with injuries. Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart are out for this event, which is a big handicap for the guests.
The encouraging thing for New Orleans is Lonzo Ball’s last performance, as he dropped 33 points against the Warriors, hitting seven threes. Two games before that, he had eight threes and 33 points against the Timberwolves.
The Pelicans have three wins in the last four games, and are still inconsistent. These last few games should be the test of their character.
Philadelphia 76ers 45-21 TBA
After a short period of being second behind the Nets, Doc Rivers and his crew top the Eastern conference again. We are sure now that the Sixers are not going to allow to hand over the pole position to any other team.
They are in perfect shape with six consecutive wins, all but one via a double-digit margin. What is essential for the Sixers is that all players are ready, including Ben Simmons, who was out due to injury for a while but came back without any consequences.
Joel Embiid is as always at the highest possible level, and 34 points in 25 minutes against the Rockets are the best possible proof of that.
Pelicans vs 76ers Pick
Butler Injured, Miami Heat Better Than New Orleans Pelicans, 111-98
The home team is a massive favorite here, which is logical. They have three superstars in the lineup, one of them (Embiid) an MVP candidate. Philly has six wins in a row as well, while Pelicans struggle to be consistent, and all the recent wins were against the weaker sides. On top of everything, Stan Van Gundy won’t count on Ingram. Due to all this, our pick for this match is Philadelphia’s easy win.
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