Feb 21, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) reacts to a play against New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Karlo Matković (17) and guard Bryce McGowens (11) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
For Sixers coach Nick Nurse, the season right now has become a task of trying to ride greyhounds through a marathon.
It's not a good fit, not a recipe for success and certainly not a way to climb the Eastern Conference playoff ladder.
Saturday in New Orleans, the Sixers built a solid eight-point lead at the half, seemed energized and played at the fast pace their coach wants and demands.
It didn't last.
The New Orleans Pelicans, with a depleted roster and playing for the second night in a row, outscored the Sixers by 23 points in the second half of a 126-111 victory that gave the Sixers their fifth loss in the past six games and dropped them to 30-26 on the season.
“Toughest moment of the season”
- Nick Nurse as the Sixers have lost a season worst 4 straight games all without Joel Embiid
“Sounds silly but we have to play better”#Sixers have lost 8 of their last 9 without #JoelEmbiid
▶️ https://t.co/C4PPgsfETS pic.twitter.com/0DhiyMz9X2
Bad teams usually find different ways to lose basketball games. Philadelphia, however, seems to be set in its way on how to pile up the losses, particularly without Joel Embiid and Paul George in the lineup.
It will ride the legs of star Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe to start the game, usually to mild success.
But whether opponents adjustments, tired legs or mental fragility set in during the halftime break, the team that competes for the first 24 minutes often looks wildly different in the final 24 minutes, even against a lowly opponent like the 16-42 Pelicans.
Not having Embiid, who sat out his fourth straight game, has caused a dilemma for Nurse at the center spot in so many ways. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona are trying to fill the void left by the former MVP, but the task is nearly an impossible one. They both got into first half foul trouble on Saturday, and while they combined to grab 22 rebounds on the night, it was their counterpart at the center spot that was a difference-maker in the game.
DeAndre Jordan, playing in his 17th season and just his third game this year, grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked four shots and was a plus-13 while on the floor. Reserve Jordan Poole scored 23 off the bench, including five three pointers, while Zion Williamson scored 21 and Villanova product Saddiq Bey added 20 as the Pelicans grabbed the victory a night after losing at home to the Milwaukee Bucks by 21 points.
Zion Williamson with the SMOOTH reverse 😵💫pic.twitter.com/TQaGhbUL2q
In his 27-point effort, Maxey shot just 9-of-23 from the floor, including just 2-of-11 from three-point range. Kelly Oubre, Jr. added 25, Edgecombe 14 and Quentin Grimes 11 as the Sixers shot 38 percent from the field, had just 19 assists on 36 field goals and were outscored 26-17 on the fast break. Those numbers lend to obvious questions about fatigue and the style of play Nurse is imploring.
In Maxey and Edgecombe, it is understandable the coach wants to use their speed and quickness to create opportunities not just for themselves but for others. But putting that much on their plate at the offensive end surely leads to deficiencies on the other side of the court. Transition defense was suspect again on Saturday, and while the Sixers did a decent job on the boards -- a 58-57 advantage -- they did allow some key offensive rebounds to New Orleans that led to backbreaking points, especially in the second half.
Nurse continued to tinker with the bench rotation, as Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards got time in the rotation at the expense of Trendon Watford, who didn't see action. Bona backed up Drummond and corralled 10 rebounds in his 21 minutes, but he did pick up five fouls. The good spot from the reserves again belonged to guard Quentin Grimes, who scored 11 points in his 25 minutes. He has now hit double figures in both games after the All-Star break and seems to be playing with the offensive aggressiveness that he showed at the beginning of the season when he scored in double-figures in 21 of the first 24 games.
The Sixers travel up to Minnesota Sunday to face the 35-22 Timberwolves.
