Sixers Pick Up Third-Straight Road Win vs. Hornets on Wednesday
After trailing by double-digits for a majority of Sunday night's matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to climb back and pick up a nine-point victory in the end. With the victory, the Sixers achieved their second-straight road win during their current three-game road trip.
With Monday off and just a practice session scheduled for Tuesday, the Sixers had an opportunity to rest and regroup before taking on the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Wednesday's matchup marked the third-straight meeting with the Hornets this year.
The first two meetings occurred in early January. Although Charlotte put up a good fight, they didn't have enough to take down the Sixers in South Philly. That resulted in a two-game sweep for the 76ers. On Wednesday night, the Hornets earned a shot at redemption as the 76ers came to the Hornets' house at the Spectrum Center.
Joel Embiid and the Sixers got off to a spectacular start on Wednesday night. After going 0-4 from the field on offense, an Embiid three kickstarted a hot run for the Sixers. Through the first 12 minutes of action, the 76ers knocked down nearly 60-percent of their shots from the field.
To no surprise, Embiid led the charge as he put up 13 points off of eight shots. Sixers head coach Doc Rivers felt comfortable enough to roll with an all-bench lineup after about ten minutes.
Although Embiid's absence is typically notable, Philly didn't miss a step as they kept the hot start going. Through the first quarter of action, the Sixers got off to a 30-13 lead over the Hornets in Charlotte.
As the Hornets attempted to claw themselves back into the game after a rough first quarter, the Sixers never slowed down. After knocking down nearly 60-percent of their shots, the 76ers drained 53-percent of their field goal attempts in the second quarter.
Embiid, who got off to a hot start personally, continued contributing to the scoreboard as he knocked down seven of his 20 total first-half points in the second quarter. However, Embiid got help from several teammates.
Danny Green, who has been quiet as of late, put up eight points in seven minutes as he drained both of his three-point attempts, adding to his two points in the first quarter. Also, Shake Milton had a strong quarter with seven points in five minutes before temporarily leaving the game with a hyperextended knee.
While the Hornets put up a much better fight in the second quarter, they were still outscored by five points. Heading into halftime, the Sixers had a significant lead over the Hornets as they went up 64-42 before the intermission.
When both teams came out for the second half, the tables turned a bit. After taking their foot off the gas, the Sixers struggled to gain a rhythm in the third quarter giving the Hornets an opportunity to climb back.
With a solid quarter led by Devonte' Graham, the Hornets managed to knock down 55-percent of their shots from the field and hit on 70-percent of their threes off of 10 attempts. Although the Hornets outscored the Sixers for the first time on Wednesday night by nine points in the third, Philly remained in the lead heading into the fourth.
The momentum remained with the Hornets as they teased a potential fourth-quarter comeback. However, the Sixers had just enough juice left to hold on to the lead and leave the Spectrum Center with their third-straight road win before heading home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Sixers center Joel Embiid led the team in scoring as he put up 34 points. He also made it a double-double with 11 rebounds. With Wednesday night's 118-111 win, the Sixers improve to 16-6 on the year, remaining first in the Eastern Conference.
