Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers escaped with a 109-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, playing without LeBron James and Joel Embiid as they sat out the second night of a back-to-back. The 76ers entered the road matchup as 1.5-point favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Game Standouts and Statistics
The win improved the 76ers’ record to 6-1, extending their winning streak to three games, while the Hornets dropped to 3-4. Charlotte continued to play without Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams, who all suffered injuries prior to the preseason.
Maxey paced the team with 38 points while hitting 4-of-9 shots from beyond the arc. Continuing his impressive early-season form, the guard is averaging 28.2 points per contest, which ties him for third in the league.
Jaylen Brown contributed 16 points and two steals, while Anfernee Simons delivered another strong performance off the bench with 19 points following previous outings of 21 and 20 points.
For Charlotte, Brandon Miller and Naz Reid paced the starting lineup. Miller recorded 24 points on 5-of-12 shooting from 3-point range, and Reid finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Grayson Allen anchored the bench unit with a team-high 27 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
Late-Game Comeback
Philadelphia held a 57-54 advantage at the half before the Hornets mounted a comeback to claim an 83-77 lead heading into the final period, setting the stage for a tense conclusion.
Maxey tied the game from the free-throw line with 1.22 remaining and then put the 76ers ahead with his second foul shot. Philadelphia sealed the victory with a 15-3 surge, featuring a crucial 3-pointer by VJ Edgecombe and further free throws from Maxey.
Philadelphia will return home to face the Chicago Bulls, while Charlotte is set to host the Detroit Pistons on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
