New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Match Preview - December 19th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The New Orleans Pelicans will aim for a season-best three-game winning run against the reeling Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.

Head coach Willie Green and his team caught the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks at the right time. The New Orleans Pelicans played exceptional basketball, particularly when it came to working the ball patiently to get the best shot available. Their efforts were aided by another outstanding performance from Devonte' Graham, who went 8-12 from three-point range to lead the Pelicans to the win.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers fell prey to the severely undermanned Brooklyn Nets. Against a team that was playing without almost half of its roster, the Sixers came out flat and had to battle back from a 20-point deficit early on. All-Star center Joel Embiid had another big night, but could not get enough support from the rest of the roster.

Philly will face the New Orleans Pelicans, who are as healthy as any team in the league. Even though they are still missing Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have been playing their best basketball of the season. The Philadelphia 76ers can’t afford another slow start that will further complicate their chances of winning the game.

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Match Detail:

Fixture: New Orleans Pelicans vs Philadelphia 76ers | 2021-22 NBA season

Date & Time: Sunday, December 19th; 7:00 PM ET (Monday, December 20th; 5:30 AM IST)

Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

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New Orleans Pelicans Preview

The New Orleans Pelicans are playing their best basketball of the season in their two-game winning run. [Photo: The Bird Writes]

The New Orleans Pelicans are likely headed for another appearance in the draft lottery. However, one positive is that they are playing very good basketball, backed by a solid second unit that has gotten quite a boost from Devonte Graham’s recent play. Following on from hitting a 61-foot Hail-Mary against the OKC Thunder, the starting point guard put in another scintillating performance.

Graham’s sudden uptick in form greatly helps the starting unit made up of Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Herb Jones. It's a complete roster that doesn’t jump out of the pages but brings a nice blend of shooting, hustle and defense.

The New Orleans Pelicans could ruin many teams’ playoff hopes if they can sustain this form.

Key Player - Jonas Valanciunas

Jonas Valanciunas has not gotten the credit he so rightly deserves this season. While it’s Brandon Ingram and lately Devonte' Graham who has grabbed the limelight, it’s been the steady play of Valanciunas that has been impressive. The 29-year old center is leading the New Orleans Pelicans in the most important statistical categories.

The 10-year NBA journeyman is averaging 18.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and a career-high 2.5 assists. For a while, he was flirting with the improbable 50%/40%/90% shooting split. He has become such a tantalizing player after revolutionizing his game with a deadly three-point shot.

Valanciunas has averaged a solid 14.9 points 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists against Joel Embiid. He has also helped limit the ultra-talented Philly big man to only 19.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in eight career meetings.

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New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup

G - Devonte' Graham | G - Josh Hart | F - Brandon Ingram | F - Herb Jones | C - Jonas Valanciunas

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Philadelphia 76ers Preview

Joel Embiid needs the best version of Tobias Harris for the Philadelphia 76ers to go far this season. [Photo: Bleacher Report]

The Philadelphia 76ers are painfully short of backup firepower to support Joel Embiid. Tobias Harris, who is supposedly the team’s second-best player, has not played according to expectations. The 29-year old veteran might still be feeling the effects of the Covid virus and is still sore from a hip injury.

In the Philadelphia 76ers’ last game against the Brooklyn Nets, Harris’ shortcomings were quite obvious. Facing a depleted team, the NBA journeyman only mustered 11 points on 3-17 shooting. He also committed the foul that allowed Kevin Durant to complete a game-changing four-point play.

Even with Tyrese Maxey’s improvement and Seth Curry’s shooting, the Philadelphia 76ers need the version of Tobias Harris, who was knocking on the All-Star team a few years back.

Key Player - Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid has not figured in the MVP conversation as he did a season ago. However, there is no mistaking how valuable he is to the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s either leading or somewhere close to the leader in every statistical category for the team.

The biggest and most notable improvement in the All-Star center’s game is his ability to create shots for his teammates. His career-best 4.3 assists this season were borne out of necessity and improved reading of the game. Embiid is even more of a complete player this season than he was when he almost won the NBA MVP award.

The three-time All-NBA Defense team does not appear to be in line to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, but he’s every bit as impactful for his team on defense as Rudy Gobert is for the Utah Jazz. The 76ers are one of the best defensive units with Embiid on the floor holding opponents to only 108.35 points per 100 possessions versus 116.41 points when he's not playing.

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Philadelphia 76ers Predicted Lineup

G - Shake Milton | G - Seth Curry | F - Danny Green | F - Tobias Harris | C - Joel Embiid

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Pelicans vs 76ers Match Prediction

The Philadelphia 76ers are a much better team than the one that lost to the undermanned Brooklyn Nets. Even if Tyrese Maxey is not cleared to play and Joel Embiid gets enough support from Tobias Harris, the Sixers should be able to defend their home court against the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Where to watch the Pelicans vs 76ers game

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the match between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers is available via NBC Sports Philadelphia and Bally Sports New Orleans.