PHILADELPHIA -- These 76ers are relieved to avoid a dubious mark.
Carl Landry scored 22 points to lead Philadelphia to a 107-93 victory over the injury-depleted New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, ensuring that the 76ers won't tie their own league record for fewest victories in an 82-game season.
"We didn't want to be a part of that," Landry said. "We tried to do whatever it took to lock in, in practice, in film sessions and just have a carryover to each and every game."
Philadelphia improved to 10-68 and now is one victory clear of the 1972-73 76ers, who set an NBA mark for futility with a 9-73 mark. The 76ers have four games remaining.
"We hope to get a few more before our season ends," Philadelphia Coach Brett Brown said, adding he was happy for his players.
"They're good people, they genuinely care [and] they put in a fantastic day's work," he said. "Our record wouldn't indicate that, but they do. And so to get a win and just move on, they deserve that."
Isaiah Canaan added 16 points for the 76ers, who snapped a 12-game losing streak while winning for just the second time in the past 27 contests.
Landry made his first nine shots, including tying a career high with two three-pointers.
Dante Cunningham led the Pelicans with 19 points, and Alexis Ajinca chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Pelicans started five players who have combined to start 76 games this season. And only Tim Frazier, whom the Pelicans signed March 16, entered averaging more than 7.6 points a game. Joining Frazier in New Orleans' starting five were Luke Babbitt, Toney Douglas, Ajinca and Cunningham.
The Pelicans were missing nearly 100 points of scoring without injured players Anthony Davis (left knee), Ryan Anderson (sports hernia), Tyreke Evans (right knee), Eric Gordon (fractured right ring finger), Jrue Holiday (right inferior orbital wall fracture) and Norris Cole (lower back).
"We don't have any excuses," Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry said. "You have to make do with what you have. There's no sympathy in this league."
Helped by Landry's 10 third-quarter points in just 4½ minutes, Philadelphia took an 88-73 lead into the final period.
The 76ers used a 10-3 run to open the final quarter to go in front 98-78 with nine minutes remaining. T.J. McConnell capped the spurt with a spinning, driving layup that drew fans in the crowd of 10,978 to their feet.
"I didn't see it tonight," Gentry said. "I thought we were trying, but we just didn't have that energy we usually have."
In other NBA games Tuesday night, DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, Kyle Lowry had 12 of his 21 in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors beat the Charlotte Hornets 96-90, handing the Hornets back-to-back losses for the first time in more than two months. … Zach Randolph had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Vince Carter added 17 points and the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the visiting Chicago Bulls 108-92. Nikola Mirotic led Chicago with 20 points. Pau Gasol had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Derrick Rose had 12 points and eight assists, while Bobby Portis (Little Rock Hall, Arkansas Razorbacks) also had with 12 points. ... J.R. Smith scored 21 points and went 7 of 11 from three-point range to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers over the host Milwaukee Bucks 109-80. Kevin Love added 17 points. … Goran Dragic scored 22 points, Dwyane Wade added 16 and the Miami Heat beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 107-89. … Jeff Teague scored 20 points, Kent Bazemore added 17 and the Atlanta Hawks rallied from 13 down in the third quarter to beat the visiting Phoenix Suns 103-90. Paul Millsap had 17 rebounds, 13 points and a game-high 8 assists, and Al Horford had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta. … Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Denver Nuggets 124-102. Kevin Durant had 26 points and eight assists for Oklahoma City. … Kawhi Leonard made the go-ahead jumper with 4.9 seconds left and scored 18 points as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz 88-86, giving Tim Duncan his 1,000th regular-season victory.
Sports on 04/06/2016