Jan. 31, 2026, 9:49 p.m. ET

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday looking to move on from a tough news day. The Sixers were informed that star forward Paul George would be suspended for 25 games starting with the matchup with New Orleans and it was time to move on for the rest of the roster.

Luckily for the Sixers, Joel Embiid continues to round into form. The big fella had 40 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists as he led the Sixers to a 124-114 over the lowly Pelicans and keeping things moving in the right direction. Philadelphia has now won three in a row as it took advantage of this recent home stretch.

Kelly Oubre Jr. added 19 points and 10 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey had 18 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, VJ Edgecombe had 15 points and five assists, and Dominick Barlow added eight points and three rebounds. Trendon Watford added five points, six rebounds, and four assists while Jared McCain had 12 points.

Here are the player grades following the win:

Tyrese Maxey: B-plus

The Sixers received good offensive production from Embiid and Oubre in this one which took pressure off Maxey to have to take over on that end. He did, however, give Philadelphia some big 3-pointers in the early going to get them into rhythm early and he was able to make some plays with his passing as well. It’s good for both him and the Sixers when others step up to take some of the pressure off Maxey in the scoring department. He kicked it into high gear late in the third to keep New Orleans at bay when it began to make a run.

Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!VJ Edgecombe: B

The Sixers needed a strong Edgecombe game on the offensive end with George not available at the moment, and he responded. He had a strong drive to the basket for a quick bucket and was able to knock down a 3-ball off movement for a catch-and-shoot opportunity. Overall, Edgecombe probably needs more of a shot diet than he had in this one going forward amid George’s suspension, but the rookie had a good all-around game in this one on both ends of the floor.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: A-minus

In the aftermath of George’s suspension, the Sixers distributed some of his shot output to Oubre. The versatile forward knocked down a corner 3 in the early going as he provided some much-needed spacing for this group. He was aggressive with the basketball, ended up knocking down a couple of more 3-pointers, and did a good job of keeping the scoreboard moving while also giving this group a lift on the defensive end. The Sixers will need this type of play from Oubre moving forward in order to stay afloat.

Dominick Barlow: B

Moving back into the starting lineup, Barlow had some good moments off the ball. He knew where to be on the offensive end to help with the spacing and was able to find seams in the defense to get himself some looks at the basket. He also did some very good things on the defensive end. His energy level and activity in this one were impressive.

Joel Embiid: A

The big fella got off to a great start on the offensive end of the floor. He got to his spots in the mid-range, used a soft touch to be able to have success, and he also got his teammates involved. The Pelicans have a number of solid big men such as rookie Derik Queen, second-year man Yves Missi, and Karlo Matkovic, and Embiid had success against all of them as there was quite literally nothing New Orleans could do. All the Pelicans could do in this one was watch helplessly as Embiid either finished an easy basket or got fouled to head to the line. He had some big, pressure baskets in the fourth to keep Philadelphia in front.

Jared McCain: A

McCain knocked down a step back 3 in his initial stint as he gave the Sixers a spark off the bench. He earned himself a longer stretch before then knocking down another 3 from the corner. He knocked down a couple of more 3-pointers in the second half as he gave Philadelphia the scoring punch it needed in terms of his shooting. Performances like this are going to earn him more playing time as the season wears on.

Trendon Watford: B-minus

The Sixers received a big lift from Watford. His energy and length gave the Sixers a big boost on the boards as he came up with some big ones when it looked like the Pelicans were going to take an advantage in that area. He also knocked down a 3-ball to give Philadelphia some offense for the second unit. In the second half, he missed a couple of bunnies, but the Sixers will take his overall production off the bench.

Quentin Grimes: C

Returning from an ankle sprain, Grimes missed a triple, but had a nice drive to the basket for a bucket and was helpful on the glass. Overall, it was a quiet offensive night, but he did some good things defensively to contribute.

Adem Bona: C-plus

It was a tough first stint for Bona, but he had some good moments after halftime in terms of being able to protect the rim and help on the glass. He brought a lot of energy to the floor, per usual, and found ways to contribute.

Jabari Walker: Incomplete

When considering the rebounding problems recently, it was good for the Sixers to get Walker some minutes. An aggressive rebounder, Walker helped in that area to give Philadelphia a spark in the energy department.