May 7th - New Orleans Pelicans @ Philadelphia 76ers - 30-36

[Pelicanidae]

INJURY REPORT; https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/fo...ist-76ers-game

No Ingram; Adams Doubtful; NAW upgraded to questionable; No Hart

Tonight we head out on the road for game one of our long road trip: with the exception of the final game of the year at home against the Lakers, we do not play at the Smoothie King Centre again this season.

Our opponent is the 45-21 Philadelphia 76ers, a team with the league's 3rd best record, currently sat at the 1 seed in the East. The Sixers have won 6 games straight, and have a record of 21-9 since All-Star Break. They're at a super soft spot in their schedule where they're basically just mopping up a bunch of terrible teams in a row; their six consecutive wins have come against OKC, ATL x2, CHI, HOU, and the Spurs. Now they have us, and tomorrow night they play Detroit. They are just steamrolling garbage teams right now to pump up the record before the season ends.

To that end, the Sixers have the 2nd best defense in the NBA and a top 15 offense.

All of that said the last time we played the Sixers we did win! It was by single digits and we were at home (where we're actually a +.500 team, barely) and it was a game in which we had Adams (who did great against Embiid) and Ingram (though he did shoot 23.8% from the floor that game and only had 2 assists; it was not his best game), both of which may not be true for tonight.

Zion had 37/15/8 on 54% shooting that game.

Can we replicate that win tonight, just on the road? Well, we really need to if we want to try and keep that play-in hope alive, which - whether you personally do or not - the team definitely does.

In games which are relevant to our interests: the Kings play the Spurs tonight. If we win and the Spurs lose obviously that makes up a ton of ground. By comparison if we lose and the Spurs win, the gap widens. Meanwhile the Lakers play the Blazers; do the Lakers continue their slide into the play-in tournament, potentially risking their post-season, or do they pull out a win without Lebron, who will not be joining them? Who knows. Remember, if the Lakers miss the playoffs and luck into a top 4 pick in the lottery, we get the pick this year.

So that's the night, let's see what happens.

[Taker597]

We are just a bad match up for the 76ers. Especially, if they can't get the 3 ball going. Which isn't their specialty to begin with anyways.

If Lonzo doesn't go Mr Hyde/ Dr Jekyll... We should win even being down a person.

[As I See It]

If I remember the first game correctly, we played without Lonzo, NAW, Hart and it was Naji's first start. Also, I think it was Ingram's first game back after missing several games.

[PaKwAn]

This is the matchup where Adams is a good match against Embiid, without him there is no one slowing Jojo down. Im really hating on the spurs they should of widened the gap already...

[6warddude]

This is the matchup where Adams is a good match against Embiid, without him there is no one slowing Jojo down. Im really hating on the spurs they should of widened the gap already...

yeah but embild ego may keep him playing outside instead of pounding jax to the baseline......i think billy will do a good job dealing with him inside...

[superstar7th]

Zion out tonight

[Eman5805]

Zion is done for the year. Now we shut it down.

[DarkHornet]

Zion is done for the year. Now we shut it down.

Agreed. With Ingram already out, there's no reason to bring any of those guys back at this point.

[Taker597]

WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THIS 2 WEEKS AGO.


MAN... THIS SHORTSIGHTED ****** TEAM

[Pelicanidae]

WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THIS 2 WEEKS AGO.


MAN... THIS SHORTSIGHTED ****** TEAM

Cause he didn't break his finger two weeks ago?

[DaFranchise80]

WHY DIDN'T THEY DO THIS 2 WEEKS AGO.


MAN... THIS SHORTSIGHTED ****** TEAM

Because Zion wanted to play through the injury unlike AD.

[Taker597]

Cause he didn't break his finger two weeks ago?

Because Players don't play with broken fingers

[Pelicanidae]

Zion Williamson has a fractured left ring finger, the Pelicans say. He is out indefinitely.

— Christian Clark (@cclark3000) May 7, 2021

David Griffin is absolutely going off on the league and officiating on how Zion is officiated, saying this was an avoidable injury and he's never seen such violence against a player since Shaq

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) May 7, 2021

Griffin says they have been sending clips and had dialogue with the league constantly and says "we failed because we did not make the message clear enough"

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) May 7, 2021

Griff says players tell Zion to his face they will keep fouling him until the refs do something

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) May 7, 2021

Griff: I almost feel as if the they (officials) do not how to deal with someone so sudden so they throw their hands up in the air and stop calling fouls

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) May 7, 2021

[HornetGuru]

Did I miss something, is Zion hurt?

[Pelicanidae]

David Griffin on Zion Williamson being out indefinitely with fractured left hand: "He's injured now because of the open season there's been on him in the paint. He has been absolutely mauled in the paint on a regular basis." https://t.co/eidfxSiU07

— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) May 7, 2021

[DarkHornet]

Did I miss something, is Zion hurt?

Zion Injury Update: pic.twitter.com/DPY2RSJq0x

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 7, 2021

[Pelicanidae]

Did I miss something, is Zion hurt?

Broke a finger against the Warriors. Out for the end of the year.

Its not a big deal long term but it is, as Griff said, completely avoidable if the refs gave Zion anything like his due when it comes to fouls. Players wouldn't feel so confident barrelling into him two at a time if it got called.

[Pelicanidae]

I think it got buried under the Zion news but sounded like BI might miss the whole season too. Griff wasn't definitive but that's what it sounded like

— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) May 7, 2021

Ingrams absence may be for the rest of the year too. Makes sense, no point bringing him back in now even if he's fine.

End the year on a losing streak, get a top 4 pick, let's go

[As I See It]

I guess we'll see what DiDi is all about for the next six games.

[SeapeaNOLA]

Shut it the **** down.

[6warddude]

zion has to defend himself and go off on the refs and the league about him getting beat up....the nice smiling guy that keep letting it slide will never get officiating done right to him...

[PELICANSFAN]

Sad that the NBA obviously values 3 point shooters so much more than those who attack the basket. Zion gets mugged attacking the basket, but we routinely see a touch foul on 3 point shots called or 3 point shooters flop after a shot and getting the benefit of a foul call.

[PELSGIRL]

Well thought we had a slim chance of making the playoffs, that's done now.

[Pelicanidae]

Sad that the NBA obviously values 3 point shooters so much more than those who attack the basket. Zion gets mugged attacking the basket, but we routinely see a touch foul on 3 point shots called or 3 point shooters flop after a shot and getting the benefit of a foul call.

Thank god that they've already announced a review of the rules for defense on shooters this off-season. Apparently even the league has started getting the message about shooters blatantly manipulating circumstances to invent foul calls.

[Pelicanidae]

Well thought we had a slim chance of making the playoffs, that's done now.

6 game losing streak to end the year, 30-42 record, top 5 pick here we come.