New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sixers at a glance
New Orleans Pelicans vs. 76ers at a Glance
TEAMS: Pelicans (9-20) vs. Sixers (7-20)
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday
WHERE: Wells Fargo Center
BROADCASTS: TV – CSN RADIO – 97.5 FM
SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE: TWITTER – @PompeyOnSixers, INSTAGRAM – PompeyOnSixers
411 ON PELICANS: New Orleans arrived in Philadelphia losers of two straight and 10 of its last 13 games.
However, the Pelicans boast the league's best power forward in Anthony Davis. The former Kentucky standout leads the NBA in blocked shots at 2.78 per game. He's also ranked second in scoring (29.6 per game), ninth in rebounding (10.9) and 21st in steals (1.48).
Tuesday's game marks a homecoming for Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Tim Frazier and Langston Galloway. The Sixers selected Holiday 17th overall in the 2009 NBA draft. The point guard played his first four seasons in Philly – even garnering all-star honors during the 2012-13 season before being traded to New Orleans for Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first-round pick in the summer of 2013.
Meanwhile, Evans is a Chester native and a former McDonald's All American at American Christian. He was The Inquirer's 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania player of the year. Frazier, a former Penn State standout, had two 10-day contracts with the Sixers during the 2014-15 season. Despite having success, he was waived to make room for Thomas Robinson so the Sixers could reach the salary cap floor. And Galloway was four-year standout at St. Joseph's before breaking into the league with the New York Knicks via consecutive 10-day contracts during the 2014-15 season. He signed a two-year deal with the Pelicans in July.
PROBABLE STARTERS
Pelicans (9-20)
44 Solomon Hill SF 6-7 5.9 ppg. 3.8 rpg.
23 Anthony Davis PF 6-11 29.6 ppg 10.9 rpg.
42 Alexis Ajinca C 7-2 5.0 ppg. 4.5 rpg.
24 Buddy Hield SG 6-4 8.4 ppg. 1.2 apg.
11 Jrue Holiday PG 6-4 14.6 ppg. 6.0 apg.
Coach: Alvin Gentry (4th season, 374-442)
Injury report: Quincy Pondexter (left knee, out) and Tyreke Evans (rest, out).
SIXERS (7-20)
33 Robert Covington SF 6-9 10.0 ppg. 1.7 spg.
21 Joel Embiid PF 7-2 18.3 ppg. 2.5 bpg.
8 Jahlil Okafor C 6-11 11.3 ppg. 5.0 rpg.
12 Gerald Henderson SG 6-5 9.3 ppg. 2.7 rpg.
14 Sergio Rodriguez PG 6-3 8.8 ppg. 6.5 apg.
Coach: Brett Brown (Fourth season, 54-219)
Injury report: Ben Simmons (right foot fracture, out), Jerryd Bayless, (left wrist ligament tear, out) and Nik Stauskas (left knee tendinitis, questionable).
THE SERIES
The Pelicans own a 16-15 series advantage. The Sixers have won three of the last five meetings.
LAS VEGAS LINE
Pelicans are 2 ½-point favorites
LAST SERIES MEETING: The Sixers snapped their 23-game road losing streak with a 99-88 victory over the Pelicans on Dec. 8.
The visitors took advantage of New Orleans' miscues, scoring 24 points of 12 Pelicans turnovers. They also had a balanced scoring attack, as Ilyasova paced the Sixers with 23 points. Embiid finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Davis finished with a game-high 26 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Galloway recorded 19 points in a reserve role for the Pelicans.
Holiday did not play in that game.
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday: 9 p.m., at Talking Stick Arena, Sixers vs. Phoenix Suns
Monday: 10:30 p.m., at Golden 1 Center, Sixers vs. Sacramento Kings
Dec. 29: 9 p.m., at Vivint Smart Home Arena, Sixers vs. Utah Jazz
Dec. 30: 9 p.m., at Pepsi Center, Sixers vs. Denver Nuggets
Jan. 3: 7 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sixers
Follow and contact 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey on Twitter and on Instagram at PompeyOnSixers.