The 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers are finally showing some signs of life, having their first winning streak, even without the services of their big man 2023 MVP Joel Embiid.
Although they let go of the rope momentarily and squandered a 19-point lead Tuesday night on the road in Charlotte, the Sixers ultimately prevailed with a 110-104 victory over the Hornets and improved to 5-14 on the season.
Paul George led his team with 29 points on an efficient 10-for-16 shooting and eight dimes. Tyrese Maxey played the Robin role to perfection, adding 21 points and seven assists.
The Hornets fell to disappointing 6-15 with their sixth straight loss. Brandon Miller, who is really coming on in his second year in the league out of Alabama, scored a game-high 34 points against his childhood idol and Nick Richards was a manchild, posting a 22-point, 14-rebound double-double.
The Sixers were forced to play without two centers in Embiid (left knee injury management/personal reasons) and Andre Drummond (right ankle sprain). The Hornets LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Tre Mann and Grant Williams were all sidelined with injuries.
KJ Martin got a rare chance to start. In fact, this was his first game since the 76ers season opener and Guerschon Yabusele started the night at the five position. Securing the backboards was an obvious challenge for the team.
With George switched onto him, Richards grabbed an early offensive board and converted an and-one bunny.
Overall, the Sixers’ lack of size and girth in the paint was not a huge issue in the early going. A pair of Yabusele offensive rebounds led to the team’s first four points. They played intense, high-energy defense with a purpose and were comfortable with the Hornets poor shot selection from the perimeter. The Hornets were an ice cold 3 for 14 from the great beyond through the first 24 minutes of action.
On the other end it was a different story. Former Hornet Kelly Oubre Jr. and George drained just about all of the shots that had been frustrating and woefully rimming out to start this season.
Oubre, who came into Tuesday’s game at 25.3 percent from distance, got off to a hot start burying his first four long-range jumpers, and once he gets going in a rhythm, he cannot miss. George came into the ‘Queen City’ with a 28.6 three-point percentage. He went on a personal 9-0 tear with a trio of jumpers in the second quarter, emphatically breaking the Sixers out of a mini-funk. Playing with a massive brace on the left knee that has caused him to miss time on two separate occasions this year, George’s game was still quite fluid.
While Maxey endured another rough shooting start, his pinpoint passing was a significant plus. He was the definition of a floor general, getting every teammate involved in the flow of the offense and dished out four assists in the first quarter, including a pick-and-roll feed that set rookie big man Adem Bona up for an uncontested dunk.
Caleb Martin, who had missed the 76ers win Saturday over the Detroit Pistons due to upper back soreness, came off the bench. Veterans Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson were also available after sitting out the Detroit game with a right hip strain and right knee soreness, respectively. Jackson was not part of the Sixers’ 10-man rotation
Jared McCain, the reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, out of Duke, was undoubtedly the best player for the Sixers’ second unit. He did not appear phased at all by a mini shooting slump over the past three games. McCain nailed a catch-and-shoot triple on his first attempt. Once a young player sees the first one go in, his confidence can soar to new heights.
Across the board, the Sixers’ reserves defended and swarmed the Hornets hard and attacked in transition. McCain (17 points) stole the rock on the opening play of the second quarter, then pushed it forward and assisted on a Ricky Council IV slam.
Prior to Tuesday, Philadelphia ranked third in the NBA in defensive turnover percentage and the Hornets ranked 26th in offensive turnover percentage. The Sixers were able to take advantage of several of Charlotte’s early mistakes, scoring the game’s first nine points off turnovers. They built a lead by as many as 18 points in the first half, although the Hornets made a run late in the second and early in the third quarter.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Sixers’ one big first-half disadvantage came at the charity strike. They frequently resorted to hack Richards in the low post and shot 15 fewer free throws than the Hornets in the first half (18-3).
McCain kept rolling in the third quarter, drilling consecutive corner threes, and the Sixers extended their lead to 78-59.
However, the Hornets did not surrender. Yabusele and Caleb Martin’s jumpers continued to misfire. That combo combined to go a dismal 5 for 19 from the field and 1 for 10 from three-point range.
The Sixers’ mistakes started to pile up. Bona was generally solid behind Yabusele, but he committed a crucial turnover late in the third quarter when he caught the ball from George on the short roll and fired a panicky jump pass between two teammates. On the ensuing possession, McCain got stripped on a drive by Tidjane Salaun and the rookie forward scored a put-back layup moments later.
Charlotte carried the momentum into the fourth quarter. George stepped up like the super star he is, twice answering Miller jumpers with contested threes of his own, but the Sixers could not regain control. The Hornets were scrappy and the Sixers helped them with errors like an apparent miscommunication that allowed Cody Martin an easy layup.
In the end, Maxey and the 76ers defense did just enough down the stretch. Maxey wound up scoring his team’s final 11 points, including a go-ahead lay-in with 29.7 remaining in the game.
Like a young Kobe Bryant, Maxey clearly wanted the ball in the clutch and trusted himself to make crucial foul shots despite his struggles from the field. He went 7 for 8 at the foul line over the final 79 seconds and got the Sixers, barely, across the finish line.
Next up for the 76ers is a Wednesday night meeting with Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic in Philadelphia.
The Hornets visit OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
