Zion dazzles as Pelicans down Sixers

You can chalk it up to an opponent finally failing to shoot well against New Orleans.

That was certainly true.

You can chalk it up to the Pelicans finally defending an opponent in more stringent fashion.

That was certainly true.

The truth is a little of both, likely somewhere in between the two non-absolutes.

The Pelicans were absolutely good, the better team Friday night.

New Orleans outhustled the 76ers, winning 50-50 balls and playing with great energy.

Certainly, the return of Brandon Ingram played a role.

Ingram returned from injury after missing five games and scored 17 points with eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 35 minutes. His scoring was needed on a night where points were not easy to come by.

The return of Kira Lewis Jr. after missing three games helped as well.

Though Lewis only had two points, he had four assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Lewis gives New Orleans a true point guard and facilitator who can penetrate and create for others and he is extremely quick and proficient at getting steals on the defensive end.

While Ingram and Lewis returned, Lonzo Ball missed the game and Nickeil-Alexander Walker and Josh Hart remain out. Ball, who missed seven games with a right hip flexor strain, returned for a couple of games and now he is out, ironically, with a left hip flexor strain. This marks the third stretch of games that Ball has missed this season.

Jaxson Hayes was good again off the bench, making 5-of-6 shots from the field for 12 points with six rebounds and a block in just 19 minutes.

The same was true of Billy Hernangomez, who also made 5-of-6 shots from the field, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds and a block in 19 minutes.

New Orleans won despite making just 4-of-22 shots from 3-point range (18.2%) and only 19-of-30 free throw attempts (63.3%). Of course, neither statistic is an anomaly. The Pelicans are a poor shooting team in both categories on the season.

The Pelicans won by holding Philadelphia to 41.8 percent from the field, winning the boards 56-47 and by forcing 19 turnovers and crushing the 76ers by a 66-34 margin with points in the paint.

New Orleans held Philadelphia superstar Joel Embiid to just 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field.

The 94 points were the third lowest allowed by New Orleans this season. The Pelicans held the Thunder to just 80 points in a New Year’s Eve win. The Pelicans held Cleveland to 82 points in a victory on March 12.

It was just the fifth time this season that the typically defensive-deficient Pelicans held an opponent under 100 points.

While all of those facts were contributing factors, the primary reason for the victory was the primary force of nature.

Zion Williamson made his presence felt, imposing his will on the 76ers.

Williamson had perhaps his best game of a superb season, scoring 37 points with 15 rebounds and eight assists, many from the point position. Williamson got 28 shots, making 15, and he had just two turnovers in 35 minutes. Zion was best when it mattered, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.

The 37 points were two short of Zion’s career high. The 15 rebounds and eight assists are a career high for Williamson. At 20, Williamson has already played his way to elite status in the NBA, perhaps even a top 10 player.

It came just one game after Williamson had a 25-gaame streak of 20 points or more and shooting 50 percent or better from the field ended in a loss at Brooklyn. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Williamson became the youngest player in league history to have at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in an NBA game.

The 94 points were a season low for the 76ers.

Now 23-29 with 20 games remaining, the Pelicans travel to Cleveland Sunday.

Suddenly, New Orleans looks to be in pretty good shape, if not health-wise, standings-wise.

Now 11th in the Western Conference, the Pelicans trail tenth-place Golden State by a game and ninth-place San Antonio by two games to reach the final play-in spots for the playoffs.

The Spurs have hit the skids, losing five straight games after the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge while the Warriors have hit the skids, losing eight of 10 games.

The Grizzlies, in the seventh spot, are four games clear of New Orleans but not out of reach.

If New Orleans can get Ball back, the Pelicans have a good shot at getting to the tournament.

The Cavaliers are next up in Cleveland Sunday.

Then comes a big home game with Sacramento, just a game behind New Orleans in the Western Conference. An improved but average Knicks team comes to town on Wednesday before a game at Washington next Friday before a rematch with the Knicks in New York a week from Sunday.

It is an important stretch of games.

None of these opponents have a winning record.

The Knicks are 26-27. Cleveland and Washington are each 19-32. The Kings are 22-30.

If you want to make the postseason, you have to beat the teams you are supposed to beat and the teams you can beat. All of these opponents fit that description.

On Friday night, the Pelicans beat a good team it was not supposed to beat. That is encouraging but it must carry over.