Facing a team of Charlotte diminished, because deprived of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller but also Mark Williams, Philadelphia had no room for error at home. Especially since their opponents had played (and lost) the day before and Joel Embiid (34 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds) was back, a week after his facial fracture.
It is therefore in this context that the Sixers performed the essentials in front of their audience, dominating the Hornets (108-98) with a nice contribution from the 2023 MVP but also from Tyrese Maxey (23 points, 6 assists) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (22 points, 5 rebounds) against his “ex”. Philly's fourth victory in five games, or more generally its sixth in eight games.
Almost complete, because still deprived of Jared McCain and Caleb Martin, Philadelphia led the entire game, achieving an excellent first quarter (41-23), in the wake of a hot Tyrese Maxey at 3- points, a hyperactive Kelly Oubre Jr. on both sides and an already imposing Joel Embiid under the circle. KO standing, Charlotte then chased the score throughout the meeting, ultimately lacking juice when she needed it most.
Because, from the moment the Hornets did their best to come back up to two possessions (-4) in the fourth quarter, under the leadership of Vasilije Micic and Miles Bridges, the Sixers managed to pick them up in “money time”. First with the energy (and a “poster”!) of Guerschon Yabusele, then with several killer baskets from Joel Embiid, far too easy in the racket.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Joel Embiid, masked and inspired. Will the 2023 MVP (finally) launch his season in earnest? All of Philadelphia must hope so, as he played only his seventh match of 2024/25. The opportunity for him to sign what is, without doubt, his best release in two months. Despite a black mask that he has already worn in the past, “JoJo” was key to the success of his team, notably raising the tone in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets were threatening at – 4. He was also valuable at the start of the game or to improve the local collective with his passes and his multiple relays with his outsiders.
– Canon start then management for Philadelphia. Untenable in the first quarter, including a gala Joel Embiid – Tyrese Maxey – Kelly Oubre Jr. trio (31 points), a fiery 3-point skill (9/14), a big presence on the offensive rebound ( 6 catches) and a very active defense (5 interceptions), the Sixers will have made their task easier for the rest of the match. Apart from their little scare of the last act, they will have calmly managed their lead, rising to +23, in order to confirm their good momentum of the moment. Even if they are still far from 50% victories (9 victories for 16 defeats, or 36%).
– Zero out of four for Charlotte. Four games and… four defeats for the Hornets against the Sixers this season. We can therefore speak of a “pet peeve” since, even without being successful for two months, Nick Nurse’s men managed to obtain almost half of their successes against the same opponent. This night, Charles Lee's players will particularly regret their failed start, as well as their poor defense in transition, with Philadelphia garnering far too many points after the opposing team lost the ball. The offensive rebound activity of Moussa Diabaté and Tidjane Salaün was not enough to limit the damage…
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
