Philly Sports Jabronis
By Max Rappaport, Sixers.com
NEW ORLEANS –– Ten days ago, the Sixers faced a Pelicans team that was without their unquestioned leader, Anthony Davis, and handed them a 96-81 defeat in South Philly. On Monday, the Sixers traveled to New Orleans and had the tables turned, falling to a Davis-led Pelicans team 99-74 in a game in which reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams sat due to illness.
Davis finished with 32 points on 12-of-19 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, three assists, four blocks, and three steals despite not playing in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a stud, just one of those rare cornerstones of a program that you can build all around,” head coach Brett Brown said of the All-Star forward after the game. “I feel like Nerlens [Noel] can take that visual that he’s looking at with Anthony [Davis’ weight gain since his rookie season]… it’s a fantastic example for Nerlens.”
After keeping pace with New Orleans early in the opening frame, the Pelicans blew the game open with a 19-7 run to end the first. The Sixers would open up the second quarter on a 14-4 run to cut the Pelicans’ lead to 34-33 with 8:26 left until halftime, but New Orleans responded with an 18-6 run to push their lead back to double digits. They coasted the rest of the way, notching their fourth straight win since Davis returned to the lineup after missing three games with a toe injury and improving to 24-21 on the season.
The Sixers were led by K.J. McDaniels, who came off the bench to score 16 points (5/8 FG) and notch four boards, three steals, and a pair of blocks in 28 minutes. Fellow rookie Jerami Grant finished with 10 points (4/8 FG), two rebounds, two assists, and four blocks in 26 minutes as a reserve.
“I was proud of K.J. coming off the bench,” said Coach Brown. “And with Jerami, there were some jaw-dropping plays that that young man has that just make you say, ‘Wow.’”
Henry Sims and Luc Mbah a Moute both added 14 points, and Robert Covington contributed six rebounds and five assists despite scoring just six points on 2-of-11 shooting on the evening. In his first career start, Larry Drew II finished with four points (2/9 FG), five rebounds, and a pair of assists in a career-high 32 minutes of action.
Nerlens Noel’s Defensive Impact
While Nerlens Noel guarded Anthony Davis whenever the two were on the floor, the Pelican forward’s huge statistical night wasn’t necessarily a result of a lapse on the part of the rookie big man. Twenty of Davis’ 32 points came in nine minutes with Noel on the bench; he shot 7-for-9 from the floor without Noel defending him. When the Sixer big man was in the game, Davis scored a more modest nine points 12 points (5/10 FG) in 22 minutes of action.
Up Next
The Sixers return to Philadelphia to host the Detroit Pistons Wednesday at 7pm (EST).
