National Basketball Association

Frustrating season for Sixers, Pelicans

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:18 p.m. ET

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NEW ORLEANS -- Their shared numbers are ugly and humbling.

At 4-18, the Philadelphia 76ers have the worst record in the NBA and have nine healthy players.

Losers of three straight games despite the presence of a league superstar, the 7-15 Pelicans own the sixth-worst record in the NBA and have the flesh wounds to prove it.

So when the Pelicans host the 76ers in a match of NBA bottom-feeders Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center, it's natural to assume the worst -- of both.

"It's very frustrating, to be honest with you," said New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry, whose team dropped a 110-108 double-overtime decision at home to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night despite Anthony Davis' 28 points and 17 rebounds in 48 1/2 minutes. "I just had higher expectations and thought that we would have fewer injuries, to be honest with you."

The Pelicans played without point guard Jrue Holiday in the Monday loss Memphis, and his absence was deeply felt. Holiday missed the first six weeks of the season while caring for his wife Lauren, who gave birth to their first child and then underwent successful surgery to remove a benign brain tumor.

When Holiday returned to the lineup, the Pelicans won a season-best five consecutive games at home, but Holiday sustained a turf toe injury during a Sunday night loss at OKC. The pain was so debilitating that Holiday could not push off on his left foot.

Holiday's status for the 76ers' game is uncertain.

"I didn't know how excruciating it could be," Holiday said on Wednesday. "People don't understand that when you hurt your toe, you can't do anything. If I could walk on my hands I would or if I could just cut it off it would be great."

Amputation might be considered going a little bit beyond the NBA's standard player's contract.

While Gentry is trying to plug leaks in his lineup -- guard E'Twaun Moore missed the Memphis game with a toe injury and forward Dante Cunningham has a broken bone in his leg -- he is hoping his players can soldier through.

Little irritants have blossomed into bigger problems. The Pelicans held solid leads against Memphis at the end of regulation and at the close of the first overtime period but allowed the Grizzlies to make big shots to extend the game.

Gentry took the blame for one late-game snafu -- he drew up an inbounds play that had the ball being thrown in from the opposite side of the court.

"One of them we drew up on the right side of the floor and the ball was on the left side," Gentry said. "I take full responsibility for that. I'm not going to dodge anything."

Davis leads the NBA in scoring (31.6) and blocks (2.81) and is sixth in rebounding (11.4), but his heavy lifting is beginning to wear him down. He also leads the NBA in minutes played (38.0).

"It's just unfortunate for him because to me, he's having an unbelievable, MVP season," Gentry said. "When I think about what he's done and the defenses he's faced and still the numbers he's put up -- not just offensive numbers but being able to lead the league in blocked shots and being really solid defensively -- it's unfortunate."

The Sixers had just nine players available in a 96-91 loss at Memphis on Tuesday night, and Jerryd Bayless (left wrist), Robert Covington (left knee sprain) and Jahlil Okafor (gastroenteritis) are not expected to join the team in New Orleans.

"This (was) our fourth game in five nights," said coach Brett Brown. "We came down with nine guys, and you're playing against a veteran, tough, playoff-hard Memphis team. I was proud of their effort."