Tyrese Maxey scored 40 points, and Paul George added 33 points, each making six 3-pointers, leading the injury-plagued Philadelphia 76ers to a 121-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night.
Kelly Oubre Jr., a former Hornet, scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed nine rebounds, helping the 76ers win for the fifth time in their last seven games. Andre Drummond added nine points and 15 rebounds.
The game took some of the excitement away from the return of Charlotte point guard LaMelo Ball, who finished with 15 points and 11 assists. The Hornets lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games, despite strong performances from Miles Bridges with 24 points, Nick Richards with 19 points, and Brandon Miller with 12 points. Cody Martin and Josh Green both scored 10 points.
Maxey made six 3-pointers in the first three quarters, and George made five. Together, they scored 27 of Philadelphia’s 31 points in the first quarter.
This helped the 76ers manage their first game without center Joel Embiid (who is out due to a sinus fracture) and rookie guard Jared McCain (who is out with a torn knee ligament). Both players were injured on Friday.
Charlotte, trailing by 21 points in the third quarter, tried to make a comeback but couldn’t get closer than four points with just under seven minutes remaining. Philadelphia then responded with a 9-0 run, finished off by a basket from Maxey.
Ball hadn’t played since November 27 due to a calf injury and didn’t come close to his usual 31.1 points per game. He played 26 minutes, shooting 5-for-15 from the floor and making 3 of 8 from 3-point range.
The 76ers were up 93-72 with two minutes left in the third quarter, but soon found themselves in a closer game.
After allowing 41 points in the third quarter, the Hornets came alive. They scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 95-89, with Green contributing eight of those points.
The 76ers have won their last four road games, while the Hornets have lost their last seven home games.
