Joel Embiid is an enigma. When healthy, he is as lethal a force as there is in the NBA.
Unfortunately for the Philadelphia 76ers, Embiid missed 104 games combined in the two seasons previous to this one. Embiid has missed 20 games this season and has played in 60 or more games just four times in his 10 seasons in the league.
Fortunately for the Sixers on Saturday night, Embiid was healthy. That was unfortunate for New Orleans.
Embiid scored 40 points, including a trio of 3-pointers and pulled down 11 rebounds as the 76ers held off the Pelicans 124-114 at home.
Playing the second of back-to-back games, the Pelicans played with energy throughout but just could not get over the hump.
Every time New Orleans pulled close, Philadelphia had an answer.
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the second half, the Pelicans took the lead briefly on a 3-pointer by Jose Alvarado with 6:30 to play at 105-104 but the 76ers answered quickly and Jose Alvarado missed a pair of 3-pointers.
Embiid then finished the deal, scoring 10 points the rest of the way.
Philadelphia centered its defense around stopping Zion Williamson.
With Embiid always playing down low, behind Williamson, the strategy paid dividends.
Williamson was held to 11 points and had just six field goal attempts. Williamson added five rebounds. At halftime, Williamson had no points and one rebound.
Saddiq Bey, who has been outstanding, led New Orleans with 34 points and six rebounds. It was Bey’s second highest point total of the season.
Trey Murphy III had 19 points and nine rebounds while Jeremiah Fears had 12 points off the bench for New Orleans. Yves Missi was a force in reserve defensively with four blocked shots. Missi added seven points and eight rebounds.
Philadelphia was 17 of 36 from 3-point range while New Orleans was 15 of 36. The 76ers outrebounded the Pelicans 52-46.
Now 13-38, the Pelicans continue the road trip Monday night at Charlotte.