Nick Nurse explains why the Philadelphia 76ers faltered in their disappointing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night.
Nurse is in the eighth year of his head coaching career, his third year with the 76ers. He has kept the franchise stable while developing a young and emerging backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, keeping them in the playoff picture this season. However, the team performs poorly in some of its contests, most notably its latest loss to the Pelicans.
Nurse reflected on the loss after the game, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. He pointed to the shooting struggles from beyond the arc, noting how New Orleans took advantage of Philadelphia's woes.
“We went 3-of-24 from three; Was quite difficult, wasn’t it?” The nurse said.
The Sixers faltered offensively and defensively in the matchup with the Pelicans, where Nick Nurse broke down. | @kia pic.twitter.com/4fw89F9u27
- NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) 22 February 2026
Nick Nurse, how the 76ers performed against the Pelicans
Nick Nurse and the 76ers have the talent to make a splash in the playoffs. However, their loss to the Pelicans shows they still have work to do to reach the next stage.
Four players, including Maxey, scored in double figures for Philadelphia in the loss. He finished with a stat line of 27 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds. He shot 9 of 23 from the field, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Kelly Oubre Jr. was next with 25 points and five rebounds, VJ Edgecombe had 14 points and five rebounds, while Quentin Grimes added 11 points and three assists.
Philadelphia improved to a 30–26 record on the season and finished sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, while trailing the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
After four consecutive losses, the 76ers will look to get back into the win column in their next match. They remain on the road when they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 22nd at 7pm ET.
