Rookie Karlo Matkovic matched his career high of 19 points to lead a balanced scoring effort as the host New Orleans Pelicans pulled away from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 112-99 win on Monday.
Kelly Olynyk finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Antonio Reeves scored 17, Yves Missi added 16, rookie Keion Brooks Jr. scored a season-high 10 and Elfrid Payton had 14 assists for the Pelicans (20-53), who won for just the third time in 12 games.
Justin Edwards and Jared Butler scored 19 points each and Jeff Dowtin Jr., Guerschon Yabusele and Chuma Okeke added 12 each to lead the Sixers (23-49), who lost their fifth straight game and 20th in the past 23.
The Sixers’ first six field goals of the second half were 3-pointers, including two each by Edwards and Yabusele, during an 18-7 run that gave them a 67-65 lead.
Brooks and Jordan Hawkins subsequently each sank a 3-pointer that gave the lead back to the Pelicans, and Reeves followed with three 3-pointers and Matkovic and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added one each as New Orleans expanded the lead to 90-75 at the end of the third quarter.
Matkovic made a 3-pointer, Olynyk converted a three-point play and Lester Quinones added a basket as the Pelicans took their biggest lead at 103-80. Philadelphia scored the next nine points, but New Orleans maintained a comfortable margin the rest of the way.
Five Pelicans combined to make seven field goals that were either layups or dunks as the hosts opened an 18-11 lead. New Orleans led by seven points two more times before Dowtin’s three-point play pulled Philadelphia within 29-23 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Pelicans were on top despite making just 1 of 11 3-point attempts.
Reeves and Quinones each made a 3-pointer to start the Pelicans’ second-quarter scoring, and New Orleans quickly expanded the lead to 37-25. The Pelicans matched their largest lead of the half of 12 points five more times, but Butler scored seven points in the period to help the Sixers creep within 58-49 at the half.
–Field Level Media
