Just three days after taking a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans (23-14), the Philadelphia 76ers (22-14) once again faced off against the championship hopeful from the Big Easy. This time, at Wells Fargo Center, the Sixers really came to play and picked up a huge win by a score of 120-111.

Let's break down the Sixers' rematch with the Pelicans.

Sixers player analysis:

Joel Embiid: 42 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 15-24 FG shooting 

Embiid, as he tends to do, got to scoring right away with 13 first-quarter points. He missed just one shot in the entire first half and kept it coming in the second half. His playmaking was also huge tonight, as he found numerous shooters open for triples. Defensively, Embiid was forcing misses left and right. He collected six boards in the first quarter and continued to deter shooters (aside from Williamson) from the rim.

After scoring 33 points in the first three quarters, he made the right plays down the stretch of the game and was showered with MVP chants on a trip to the free-throw line.

James Harden: 27 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 8-19 FG shooting 

Harden got to cooking when the Sixers went to their mostly-bench unit in the second quarter, whipping up a four-point play, a few more and-one takes to the hoop and other goodies. He remained aggressive throughout the game and although he notched his fair share of fouls, he was mostly solid on defense against a very good offensive team. He even did a respectable job when he switched onto Zion.

Tyrese Maxey: 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 5-14 FG shooting 

Maxey looked way more like himself in this one, though he still wasn't super productive. He looked to attack the basket and was certainly not afraid to shoot. The promising moments were there — a strong finish in transition through contact, a fourth-quarter triple, a few assists — as he looks to get back to being a dominant force.

Pelicans player analysis:

Zion Williamson: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 10-12 FG shooting 

Williamson got right to the hoop for a layup on the first possession of the game but then went silent for a bit. Even when the Sixers dared him to feast with the same frontcourt (Tucker, Niang and Harrell) that he dominated on Friday, he didn't muster up all that much until late in the second quarter.

Once he got going, though, he got going. He muscled his way to anywhere he wanted but also whipped passes to his teammates when they became open. He didn't need to score several buckets in a row before activating his takeover like it was NBA 2K — it just happened whenever he made it so. Unfortunately, he strained his hamstring at the end of the third quarter.

CJ McCollum: 26 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 9-16 FG shooting 

After lighting the Sixers up for 11 triples on Friday, McCollum hit a few triples and dished three assists in the first quarter to lead the Pelicans' offense. Philly's defense forced him into tough shots but he was up for the challenge. Although he was far from doing another Stephen Curry imitation, he was a key contributor for the Pelicans throughout the night.

Game trends:

1st half

  • The Sixers got off to a hot start, scoring 10 points in the first three minutes. Embiid scored seven and set up De'Anthony Melton for a transition triple as Philly pushed the tempo. New Orleans called a timeout at the 9:22 mark of the opening quarter and subsequently went on an 8-0 run.
  • When Maxey checked into the game (receiving a loud round of applause in the process), the Sixers went with a Harden-Maxey-Melton-Harris-Embiid lineup. Harris was subbed out a few minutes later for Georges Niang. The three-guard minutes went pretty well, as Philly could have gained a sizable lead if not for two shaky threes (one from McCollum that was tightly guarded and another from Jaxson Hayes).
  • Tucker once again guarded Williamson but when he rested, Doc Rivers had Niang do it but he also kept Embiid in to provide a cushion. Niang helped the cause with back-to-back triples and hit two more in the second quarter as the Sixers maintained a lead.
  • The Sixers defense was locked all the way in. They forced the Pelicans into contested shots and many, many misses by being alert when dealing with screens and getting their hands up on each shot.
  • Williamson got going down the stretch of the second quarter, aided by his ability to draw whistles from the refs on his drives (and, obviously, his tremendous body control and finesse with the ball in the air). The Sixers led by just five, 57-52, at the half. Embiid, Harden and Niang accounted for 46 of their points.

2nd half

  • Tucker continued to be no match for Williamson, who got right to work in the second half. Even as the Sixers switched other guys onto him, he not only got buckets but made good passes to teammates, including on a lovely dish to Herb Jones.
  • Not to be outdone, Embiid continued getting buckets, scoring 10 straight points for the Sixers, and also took a charge on Williamson. However, his defensive prowess slipped a bit in the third quarter. That, partnered with some miscommunications, gave the Pelicans some easy outs.
  • After snatching a board and charging down the floor, Williamson came up hobbling. He didn't make it down to the other end of the floor and was immediately subbed out of the game. After the third quarter ended (with Philly up 84-81), he went back to the locker room.
  • Harden led the Sixers to start the fourth quarter, commanding the attention of the Pelicans defense with a blend of buckets and nifty passes. Maxey came alive with some crucial buckets and Harrell made some great passes as a roller.
  • Once Embiid was subbed in for the home stretch, the Sixers worked that EmBeard magic in the pick-and-roll to keep the lead. However, the Pelicans gave them some trouble on the other end and never fully went away.
  • Rather than fold down the stretch, as they have done in several recent games, the Sixers worked their way into good shots and came away with a steal on the Pelicans' last chance to make it a game.

Stray thoughts:

  • Herb Jones was inactive in the previous duel between these teams but made an impact on the defensive end. His long arms and tenacity make him a menace for opposing offenses.
  • Williamson's incomprehensible game takes another jump when you watch him live. His acceleration, his jumping, his ability to keep his head up to make good passes — it's all just unbelievable to see in person.
  • Seeing the love Maxey got from Sixers fans was awesome.

The Sixers will continue their homestand on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.