The Philadelphia 76ers came into their meeting with the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night for their second clash within two weeks. The free-falling Sixers came in losers five of their last six games including their most recent loss against former Sixers’ head coach Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks. Philly had plenty of chances to win some of the games in their last six but faltered in the fourth quarter against the Nets, Grizzlies, and Bucks.
The Hornets showed up Saturday night winners of two of their last four games and had rookie Brandon Miller in the lineup for this contest. He wasn’t in the lineup during their previous meeting, so the Hornets were looking to take advantage of having one of their better offensive players available.
Sixers vs Hornets game recap
The first quarter started with the Sixers pushing the pace on any misses they received and trying to get as many easy points as possible. Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr were as aggressive as they come, driving to the rim and helping the Sixers to build a slim lead to start. With Tobias Harris out of the lineup due to an ankle injury he suffered during the last game, Oubre Jr made sure he tried to give the team a little extra on offense. He got two powerful dunks in the first quarter to try to set the tone for Philly.
The second quarter started with a stagnant offense which allowed the Hornets to keep the game close. Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller helped keep the Hornets close, and once Philly keyed in on them, the Hornets shooters started to catch fire from the corners.
After the Hornets tied it up, Nick Nurse went with a three-guard lineup that helped them regain the lead and increase it to ten. The end of the half also included a play where Brandon Miller gave Tyrese Maxey a vicious elbow, which bloodied his nose. Miller was assessed a flagrant penalty two and was ejected from the game.
The second half had the same theme for its entirety. Every time the home team tried to pull away, Bridges and company would go on a short run of their own to keep it close. The lead never reached more than 10 for the Sixers. With the lead down to one point with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Sixers inserted Tyrese Maxey back on the floor in hopes that he could help close this game out.
The Hornets took the lead in the final period with about five minutes to go due to some really solid play from Grant Williams and Vasilije Micic. With major plays from Paul Reed off the bench, Kelly Oubre, and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers were able to pull away to get a much-needed win against the Hornets 109-98. The Sixers were paced by Tyrese Maxey (30 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds) and Kelly Oubre Jr (22 points). The Hornets were led by Tre Mann (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists).
Carrying the team
Nick Nurse has had to play many different lineups due to the injuries that have plagued this team all season. When Tyrese Maxey has played, without Joel Embiid or many other rotation players, he has put the team on his back.
As option 1A, while the reigning MVP heals from injury, he has shown some growth and the ability to handle the pressure most nights. He has been learning how to play through different coverages.
Against the Hornets, for much of the night, they trapped him in pick-and-roll action, so he had to do his damage in isolation or off the ball. He still doesn’t get as many whistles as he should when he drives to the paint and should be rewarded for his aggressiveness. With him adding an All-Star appearance to his resume, one can only hope that he can get to the line more.
Where’s Buddy
When Buddy Hield first arrived in Philly from Indiana, he provided much-needed shooting, spacing, and surprisingly solid playmaking. After those first five or six games, his play dropped tremendously. He is hesitant when shooting and struggles to get past anybody on drives. Missing contested threes comes with the territory, but he is missing wide-open ones as well.
In tonight’s game against Charlotte, he only played 4 minutes in the first half because he was ineffective on both ends. He was much better in the second half, scoring 14 points on 12 shots, including 2 three-pointers. He was initially in the starting lineup immediately after the trade but has since been moved to the bench. His only recent good game was against the New York Knicks last Sunday evening. All shooters go through slumps, but the 76ers need Hield back to his old form in order to hold on until reinforcements return.
The little things
Maxey and Oubre did most of the heaving lifting for the Sixers in terms of scoring but there were a few guys who really stepped up to do the little things for a win. Nic Batum, Kyle Lowry, and Paul Reed only combined for 24 points but did combine for 22 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 blocks, and 6 steals. They each made an important play down the stretch that may not show up in the scoring column but helped get a win.
