At this stage of the NBA season, days off are very hard to come by for any team. So after back-to-back hard fought victories over the Knicks and Nets last Thursday and Friday, some weekend down time was much needed for the Sixers.
Maybe that rest helped just enough Monday night as the 76ers defeated the Hornets in the 69th game of the season,108-94, at The Center. Philadelphia picked up their third straight win and third over Charlotte this month, improving their record to 39-30 on the season and still holding claim to the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Joel Embiid was fantastic on the night, posting 25 points (10-17 FG, 4-6 3FG) and grabbing 19 rebounds, establishing himself as the dominant force we’ve become accustomed to seeing every night. His only blemish being the nine turnovers that he committed. The miscues, though, did not stop the All-Star big man from being a two-way problem for the Hornets in his 31+ minutes of action, due to his overall scoring and defensive prowess that led to four blocked shots and foul problems for Hornets center Dwight Howard throughout.
Not to be outdone, Ben Simmons notched his ninth triple-double of the season totaling 11 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists, all while not committing a single turnover in his 33 minutes and one second of floor time.
The three-point shot was a key part of the game for the 76ers in the win as they tied a season and franchise high with 18 makes from behind the arc on 44 tries. Reserve guard Marco Belinelli came off the bench and shot 5-9 from deep, 8-14 overall from the floor for 21 points. Robert Covington also got into the act from long distance, converting four of his nine attempts from the three-point line, 6-12 from the field for 18 points. Embiid showed his range making three big treys early in the third quarter to give the Sixers a 58-56 advantage after trailing by seven at the half.
This was an entertaining back and forth affair throughout, but after rookie Malik Monk (13 points) converted a fast-break dunk for the Hornets to pull the score to 88-88 with 6:16 to play, the Sixers used a 20-6 run to end the game and pull away for the victory.
All-Star guard Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 24 points while big man Willy Hernangomez added 17 (all in the first half) in a reserve role.
Philadelphia improved their record to 17-0 when holding opponents under 100 points.
Up Next:
The Sixers host the Memphis Grizzlies (19-51) on Wednesday at The Center. The Grizzlies snapped a 19-game losing streak on Saturday after beating the Denver Nuggets, 101-94.