The Sixers’ two available stars poured in 73 points Monday night.
The Paul George-Tyrese Maxey pairing led the team to a 121-108 victory over the Hornets at Spectrum Center.
George scored his most points yet as a Sixer, notching 33 on 13-for-20 shooting. He also had eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.
Maxey posted 40 points, five assists, five rebounds and four steals.
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Monday's result improved the Sixers to 8-16 and dropped Charlotte to 7-19. The Hornets will try to avoid a 4-0 season series sweep when they face the Sixers again on Friday in Philadelphia.
The Sixers had four players out injured in Joel Embiid (right sinus fracture), Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus tear), Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy).
Embiid will be re-evaluated in approximately one week, a Sixers official said Monday. Head coach Nick Nurse told reporters pregame that Embiid’s sinus fracture is “not nearly as severe” as the two orbital fractures he’s suffered during his NBA career.
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Here are observations on the Sixers' win in Charlotte:
George and Maxey glad to get all the buckets
The Sixers didn’t start like a team deflated by all the recent negative news on the injury front. Maxey’s second three-pointer gave them a 15-8 lead.
Maxey drilled three deep jumpers in a row late in the second quarter. With a 6-for-12 night from long range, he bumped his season percent up from 30.3 to 31.7.
George was great early, tallying 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting and three assists in the first quarter. Both he and Maxey set a strong tone, bringing the necessary aggression and brisker tempo required without Embiid. Everyone was happy to defer to the star duo. At one stage in the first quarter, the George-Maxey pair recorded 24 consecutive Sixers points.
George scored with his characteristic smooth variety. He made a post-up jumper over Josh Green, a pull-up three, and a tightly guarded fadeaway jumper with 19.2 seconds left in the first quarter. George’s fourth triple of the night moved him past Jason Terry for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time made three-pointers list.
Sixers have to work around foul trouble
The Sixers started Andre Drummond at center.
It was a solid matchup for Drummond on paper against Mark Williams and Nick Richards, who are both 7-foot, traditional, non-shooting centers. However, both Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele ran into first-half foul trouble.
Drummond still managed to grab 10 rebounds in the first half, but the Sixers’ fouling prevented them from breaking the game open. Drummond was called for his third foul with 3:07 to go in the second quarter when he charged into Richards. KJ Martin fouled Brandon Miller on a three-point shot 13 seconds into the third quarter. The Sixers wasted some possessions on a 20-turnover night, too.
The team's second unit was also not a strength whatsoever in the first half. Eric Gordon rejoined the team’s rotation for the first time since Nov. 30 and missed two three-point tries. The Sixers’ defense was noticeably leakier when Gordon and Kyle Lowry shared the floor. All told, Charlotte scored the game’s first 15 bench points.
Oubre vital in holding off Hornets
On top of his scoring — 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting — Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in plenty of useful role player moments, including a nifty drop-off pass to Drummond for a dunk early in the third quarter.
Oubre had four assists, two steals and a block in Charlotte. He's been dependably productive of late for a Sixers team that hasn't been able to count on much. Monday's performance was Oubre's 10th consecutive double-figure scoring game. He finished one rebound shy of a fourth straight double-digit rebounding game.
George and Maxey continued to be the Sixers’ unquestioned go-to guys in the third quarter, but they didn’t have to do it all. Gordon finally made the bench’s first field goal and added two more threes soon after. The Sixers went up 21 points on two Ricky Council IV free throws with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter.
The Hornets stormed back and the Sixers weren't sharp at all late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. Drummond deliberated over whether to take a wide-open three, decided to let it fly and missed it. Martin committed his fifth foul on an illegal screen in the backcourt. Josh Green drained a three that cut Charlotte's deficit to 95-89.
Oubre snapped the run with a tough, timely mid-range jumper. He scored the Sixers' first four points of the fourth quarter and hit a big three off of a pick-and-pop with George.
A George three seconds after an Oubre offensive board appeared to truly pop the Hornets' comeback balloon. Next time down, Maxey scored a driving layup. Late free throws got him to the 40-point mark for the second time this season.
He logged 40 minutes Monday night in Charlotte, as did George and Oubre.
