New Orleans Pelicans @ Philadelphia 76ers
Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET
Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA | Game ID: 22500699
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
PHI 31 36 20 37 124NOP 33 21 27 33 114
ESPN UpdateESPN Update
Joel Embiid's 40 points lead 76ers to victory over Pelicans after Paul George's 25-game suspension
PHILADELPHIA -- — Joel Embiid had 40 points and 11 rebounds to help the Philadelphia 76ers win hours after Paul George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, 124-114 over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.
The NBA did not disclose the nature of the violation or the substance that was involved, and George released a statement to ESPN saying he took something that was “improper.”
Without George, the 76ers couldn't shake the 13-win Pelicans until the final minutes.
Tyrese Maxey scored 18 points and hit one of his four 3-pointers that gave the Sixers a 117-111 lead and Embiid and VJ Edgecombe followed with consecutive 3s for the 123-113 lead.
Embiid heard “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants as he stepped to the free-throw line with 11.3 seconds left. He sank his first one to hit the 40-point mark.
Kelly Oubre Jr . scored 19 points and the 76ers hit 17 3-pointers to end the night on a high note after they learned they would have to make a playoff push largely without George.
Saddiq Bey led the Pelicans with 34 points and Zion Williamson had 11.
George was absent as the franchise celebrated the 25th anniversary of Allen Iverson and the 76ers’ improbable run to the NBA Finals. Allen Iverson was in the house and so were many of the featured players and architects of the conference champions such as former team president Pat Croce and general manager Billy King . The 76ers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the NBA Finals.
The Sixers also haven't advanced out of the second round in the East since 2001. George's suspension only pushes the odds that streak extends at least one more season.
Up next Pelicans: At Charlotte on Monday night.
76ers: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
PHIAB A. Bona
DB D. Barlow
JE J. Embiid
JM J. McCain
JW J. Walker
KO K. Oubre Jr.
QG Q. Grimes
TM T. Maxey
TW T. Watford
VE V. Edgecombe
NOPDQ D. Queen
HJ H. Jones
JA J. Alvarado
JF J. Fears
KM K. Matković
MP M. Peavy
MA Matkovic
SB S. Bey
TM T. Murphy III
YM Y. Missi
ZW Z. Williamson
PHI/NOP the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur