New Orleans Pelicans: Grades for shorthanded win over the 76ers
The New Orleans Pelicans came into their game with the Philadelphia 76ers with their playoff hopes teetering on the brink of extinction.
The death blow was held off for one more night, as the shorthanded Pels showed some toughness and heart and got a win that kept their waning chances alive.
Zion Williamson had perhaps his best game as a professional, although we’ve been saying that a lot lately, putting the Pels on his back in the 4th quarter and carrying them to victory.
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However this season turns out, Zion has proven himself to be a star whose ceiling is nothing short of best player of his generation and a potential All-Time great.
Although it was Philly that entered the game with the league’s 2nd-best defense, it was the Pelicans who held them under 100 points and kept MVP candidate Joel Embiid to one of his lowest point totals of the season.
The Pelicans are now just a game back of the final play-in spot and with three games remaining against the Warriors, still have a puncher’s chance of battling their way into the playoffs, which would be a great accomplishment after such an up and down season that has been recently derailed by injury.
Brandon Ingram made his return to the lineup but Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were all still out, so this was a nice win for a shorthanded team that is finally starting to show some heart.
Here are the grades for the Pelicans win over the 76ers.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Grades for the point guards
Point Guard. New Orleans Pelicans. ERIC BLEDSOE . C+.
Zion was really the point guard in this game but technically Bledsoe got the start at the position. After putting together some much better numbers over the last ten games, Bledsoe returned to what his been his “meh” norm this season.
He ended the game with just nine points, four rebounds, two assists and zero steals and hit just 1-of-4 from behind the arc. Bledsoe hasn’t been bad enough to warrant all the hate he’s been getting but he hasn’t been good enough to be considered part of the future either.
Point Guard. New Orleans Pelicans. KIRA LEWIS JR.. B.
Kira Lewis Jr. continued to do what he’s done all season, which is to make plays, set up his teammates and take care of the ball. Lewis Jr.’s play can best be described as “steady” which is a high compliment for a 19-year-old point guard who had no offseason or Summer League.
Lewis made an impact on the defensive end, swiping three steals and adding a block to his overall numbers. He turned the ball over twice to four assists and is averaging a better than 4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio for the season.