James Harden, Joel Embiid Discuss Defense vs. Zion Williamson

The Philadelphia 76ers hosted Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night in South Philly. The matchup marked the second game the Sixers and the Pelicans battled it out within the last few days.

In the first matchup in New Orleans last Friday, the Pelicans’ MVP was the veteran guard CJ McCollum, who produced over 40 points while knocking down 11 of his threes. While McCollum was the player who pushed the Pelicans above and beyond against the Sixers, Williamson’s performance was nothing to look past.

In the 31 minutes he spent on the floor, Zion Williamson scored 36 points while draining 13 of his 19 shots from the field. The duo of Williamson and McCollum helped the Pelicans send the Sixers packing with a 127-116 loss.

In the rematch between the Sixers and the Pelicans on Monday, Williamson was the one carrying the Pelicans, as the Sixers put up a much better fight.

While Zion didn’t get to finish the game, as he suffered a hamstring strain late in the third quarter, several Sixers noted the impact the superstar forward had on the game prior to him missing the entire fourth quarter on Monday.

“I mean, he’s going to the basket playing aggressive. There’s not really much you can do,” said Sixers star James Harden. “Try to do a good job and using verticality. I think, for the most part, we did a really good job of that. He’s athletic, so he’s able to jump and figure it out in the air. Special player.”

As for Sixers star Joel Embiid, he made it clear Philadelphia could’ve done a better job on the talented forward.

“We could have been better,” Embiid stated. “Obviously, foul trouble kind of limits you a little bit, but he’s a big-time player to stop. Especially going downhill, but I thought we did the best job possible.”

“It’s tough, you know. I mean, he does a great job of being able to take off from really far away from the hoop, and he kind of glides in there,” Sixers veteran Georges Niang added. “He’s extremely physical and, you know, he does a good job of drawing fouls. So he’s really tough to guard, and he’s a reason why that team has been so successful.”

Williamson was borderline unstoppable on Monday night. As he attempted 12 shots from the field, he made all but two of his attempts. He also paid four visits to the free-throw line, which helped him convert six of his eight shots from the charity stripe.

In 28 minutes, Williamson collected 26 points. While in the game on Monday night, he helped the Pelicans give the Sixers a run for their money. After he went out, New Orleans continued to put up a good fight while shorthanded, but it wasn’t enough.

In the end, Embiid, Harden, and the 76ers were too much for the Pelicans to handle in South Philly. The home team made it out of the matchup with a 120-111 victory.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.