Dec 20, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Joel Embiid went for 34 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in his return from a fractured sinus. Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. combined for 45 points. The Sixers held off the under-manned Hornets for their sixth win in eight games.
Here's what I saw.
- Regardless of what you might think of the Charlotte Hornets, you can't say the Sixers didn't treat you to a show in the first quarter of this game. It was maybe as decisive as they've looked all season. Every decision was quick. Not only did they move fast as a team, but they executed at a blistering speed because of the quickness of their decisions. Charlotte had no time to even make rotations or try to navigate screens on defense.
- Perhaps the biggest catalyst behind that uptick in speed was the two-man game between Embiid and Maxey. 1.5 games worth of time missed by Embiid wasn't nearly enough to dislodge any of their chemistry (nor should anyone have thought it would be!). The two of them worked in unison to move the ball both downhill and side to side. If it wasn't a pick-and-roll with a pocket pass into an Embiid isolation at the elbow, it was a DHO (with some between-the-legs flashiness on the pass from Embiid) to get Maxey an open three. Maxey supplied four of Philadelphia's nine three-point makes in the first frame. The shot quality goes up when you're coming off a pick from Embiid.
- In light of having a Friday-Saturday back-to-back, and the second leg being a road game against arguably the best team in the league, of course some of the locals expressed displeasure with Embiid suiting up for Friday's home game against an injury-laden Charlotte team. Based on the team's public plan for managing Embiid's health this season, it implied that he would not be available for the Saturday game against the Cavaliers. But, it seemed as though Philadelphia managed his minutes a bit differently in this game.
For a chunk of the first half, Embiid and Andre Drummond had played an even minute load. Nick Nurse even got away with a few minutes of Guerschon Yabusele playing small-ball five. So, I do wonder if the rotation maneuvering means they'll try to get Embiid on the court for Saturday's game, too.
- While, we're talking about Embiid, not the shiniest first half for him. He needed eight shots to earn 10 points. Had a pair of turnovers and didn't record a single rebound. However, his passing was quite good. In fact, two of his best displays of playmaking thus far this season came late in the second quarter. He beat a double-team along the baseline by hitting Oubre over the top on a cut. A short while later, Embiid forced Oubre's man to commit to help just before slinging the rock to the wing for a corner three. Outstanding job of creating and manipulating advantages.
- This game was headed for an early blowout until the older veterans checked in in the second quarter. Three fouls in six minutes for Kyle Lowry, including a three-shot foul on Miles Bridges. Get the man a clipboard please.
- Drummond's string of good games came to an end on Friday. Five fouls in 10 minutes. Two rebounds. Out of position on defense (and a lot of soft contact on shots at the rim). Bad, bad night at the office.
- The Sixers should've been up by 30 before halftime. This game should've been put to bed well before the fourth quarter even started. But, they just could not put together long enough stretches of good play to KO the severely under-manned Hornets. It was an absolute failure that I looked up at the jumbotron with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter and saw a six-point spread. Unacceptable.
The biggest culprits of Charlotte's push back into the game were purposeless offense and silly fouls on the Hornets' end of the floor. The Sixers, with bad defense of their own, allowed the Hornets to chip away with scores against a stopped clock. They then went down on their end of the floor and had no coherent idea of what to do. Paul George stunk up the joint shooting the ball all night. Still, stop trying to be the point guard. Your job is not to feed Yabusele mismatches in the post with the game still up for grabs in the fourth quarter. The possession needs to end with you.
- The Sixers won a challenge. Sound the alarms!
- I hope Charles Lee got a lifetime supply of his preferred hard liquor in his contract to be the head coach of the Hornets. Leading that squad has to make you drink.
- This is some of the best extension I've ever seen on an in-game dunk:
Air Ricky! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/hq5DOUTI8Z
The Sixers (9-16) will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (24-4) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus.
