New Orleans Pelicans (16-42) beat Philadelphia 76ers (30-26) 126-111 at home on Saturday, February 21, after falling far behind. The Pelicans were down 8 at one quarter break and still finished 15 ahead.
The game, quarter by quarter
The 76ers struck first, taking the opening quarter 29-24 and a 5-point lead after one. The 76ers kept the pressure on with a 36-33 second quarter, carrying a 8-point lead into halftime.
The Pelicans won the third 40-26 to turn the game around, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Pelicans took the fourth 29-20; the Pelicans finished the job for a 126-111 regulation win.
What flipped it
The Pelicans got more from their shots, finishing at 59.9% effective field-goal shooting compared with 44.7% for the 76ers. The Pelicans made 35.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 28.7 for the 76ers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The 76ers did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 9.4 against 13.8. The Pelicans made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 104 possessions per team, the Pelicans produced 121 points per 100 possessions to 106.6 for the 76ers.
The Pelicans' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 52-25.
Who carried the comeback
Zion Williamson was the game's biggest individual force for NOP: 21 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl on 7-14 shooting. His Game Score of 22.9 led everyone. His team was +24 with him on the floor.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 27 pts, 3 reb, 7 ast, 5 stl on 9-23 shooting, good for a 19.5 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 47% for the Pelicans.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, New Orleans Pelicans lead 2-1.
The Pelicans are now 16-42, and the 76ers are 30-26. The Pelicans last five before this game: L-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.