New Orleans @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2019 ) Philadelphia 111, New Orleans 110

The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to snap a 10-game losing streak when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Halting the slide doesn't figure to be easy because the 76ers are 13-0 at home and have won 12 of their past 14 overall games after posting a 115-109 road win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Center Joel Embiid was a motivated man against Boston as he produced a season-best 38 points and also collected 13 rebounds while matching a season best of six assists one day after drawing strong criticism from TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. Barkley said Embiid doesn't take advantage of matchups in his favor and O'Neal said Embiid's scoring average should be 28 or 30, not 22, prompting Embiid to say this before Thursday's contest: "They're right." New Orleans lost 127-112 to host Milwaukee on Wednesday even though reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the Bucks with a quadriceps injury. "You either win or you learn," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters. "I think the guys are still playing hard. We just have these moments, these stretches where we struggle some and go away from what we're doing."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS New Orleans, NBCS Philadelphia

ABOUT THE PELICANS (6-19): New Orleans hasn't won since beating the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 21 and the atmosphere was tense as the club trailed Milwaukee by 23 at halftime during the latest setback. "It's not like this is the first time we've had a talk at halftime," shooting guard JJ Redick told reporters, indicating he aired his feelings during intermission. "I would say emotionally sometimes you reach a tipping point. That's the timing of that." Guard Jrue Holiday is tiring of hearing about the team being young, saying "you can’t use that excuse forever, but I feel like we have to get to something and do it well and do it consistently, and we’re not really doing it consistently right now."

ABOUT THE 76ERS (19-7): Forward Tobias Harris discussed the comments of Hall of Famers Barkley and O'Neal with Embiid and said he could tell his teammate was going to have a big-time showing. "He was motivated by it," Harris said during a postgame television interview. "He takes criticism well, especially from guys who want to see him become great. He came out and dominated in all facets of the game." Embiid said he understood the messages being sent and that he does need to make a change, saying "I need to look to impose myself and dominate. The whole season, I haven't done that."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 76ers won each of last season's meetings by one point.

2. Philadelphia PF Al Horford (knee, hamstring) sat out Thursday and is questionable to play against the Pelicans.

3. New Orleans C Derrick Favors (personal reasons) is listed as questionable after missing the past 13 games due to injuries or his mother's death.

PREDICTION: 76ers 108, Pelicans 95