76ers top Pelicans to avoid tying league mark for futility
New Orleans Pelicans’ Luke Babbitt (8) takes a shot over Philadelphia 76ers’ Jerami Grant during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 5, 2016, in Philadelphia. AP
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania—Carl Landry scored 22 points to lead Philadelphia to a 107-93 victory over the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, ensuring that the 76ers won’t tie their own league record for fewest victories in an 82-game season.
Philadelphia improved to 10-68 and now is one win clear of the 1972-73 76ers, who set an NBA mark for futility with a 9-73 mark. The 76ers have four games remaining.
Isaiah Canaan added 16 points for the 76ers, who snapped a 12-game losing streak while winning for just the second time in the last 27 contests.
Landry made his first nine shots before finishing 9 for 10 from the field, including tying a career high with two 3-pointers.
Dante Cunningham led the Pelicans with 19 points and Alexis Ajinca chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The game had more of a D-League feel to it.
The Pelicans started five players who have combined to start just 76 games this season. And only Tim Frazier, whom the Pelicans signed on March 16, entered averaging more than 7.6 points. Joining Frazier in New Orleans’ starting five were Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas, Ajinca and Cunningham.
The Pelicans were missing nearly 100 points of scoring without injured players Anthony Davis (left knee), Ryan Anderson (sports hernia), Tyreke Evans (right knee), Eric Gordon (fractured right ring finger), Jrue Holiday (right inferior orbital wall fracture) and Norris Cole (lower back).
Helped by Landry’s 10 third-quarter points in just 4 ½ minutes, Philadelphia took an 88-73 lead into the final period.
The 76ers used a 10-3 run to open the final quarter to go in front 98-78 with 9 minutes remaining. T.J. McConnell capped the spurt with a spinning, driving layup that drew fans in the crowd of 10,978 to their feet.
The 76ers have blown many late leads this season, but they were able to hang on this time against the short-handed Pelicans, who never threatened down the stretch.
