Joel Embiid continued his impressive scoring streak, recording 33 points to mark his 20th consecutive game with 30 or more points, a franchise record. His efforts led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 97-89 win over the Charlotte Hornets during Saturday’s NBA action, extending their winning streak to five games.
Embiid, the current NBA MVP, also secured 10 rebounds and was efficient from the field, going 11-23 and nearly perfect from the free-throw line, going 11-12 attempts. Tobias Harris contributed 21 points, while Tyrese Maxey added 16 points and eight assists, aiding the 76ers in improving their record to 28-13.
The victory came after a challenging start for Philadelphia, who trailed by four at the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, they managed to restrict the Hornets to just 16 points in the final period, securing the win.
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Charlotte, facing challenges with injuries to key players, found it difficult to contain Embiid. Without their top centers, Mark Williams and Nick Richards, the Hornets had to defend Embiid with P.J. Washington and Nathan Mensah, which resulted in a noticeable size mismatch against the reigning NBA MVP.
Harris noted the team’s strategy to exploit the Hornets’ smaller lineup and the success of their game plan, particularly in the fourth quarter.
“We knew they were down guys and had a smaller team tonight, so we had to exploit those type of mismatches out there,” Harris said. “We just had to make the right play. It was a pretty simple game plan for us. I thought in the fourth quarter we did a great job of executing it.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets Updates
Hornets coach Steve Clifford acknowledged the difficulty defending Embiid but felt the team performed better than their previous encounter.
“I mean, he’s a brutal guy to defend,” Clifford said. “We did a lot better than we did last time.”
Charlotte was also without LaMelo Ball due to ankle soreness, leaving Terry Rozier to lead the point guard duties with 19 points and nine assists. Despite leading after the third quarter, the Hornets couldn’t sustain their momentum against the 76ers’ fourth-quarter surge.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets Updates
76ers coach Nick Nurse praised the team’s defensive effort in the fourth quarter and highlighted Harris’s contribution to their victory.
“You could notice the difference in our energy level in that last quarter,” Nurse said. “I thought Tobias (Harris) really sparked us there as well. Finally, somebody was scoring, and we got some transition buckets. I was happy with our loose ball recovery tonight, we started knocking a few guys diving on the floor picking them up, so it was not a thing of beauty but it was hard fought and the result is what we’re after.”
Looking ahead, the 76ers will host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, while the Hornets face a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves the same evening.
