Sixers Pick up Third-Straight Win Over Hornets on Saturday

After a dominant performance down in Orlando, Florida, on New Year's Eve, the Philadelphia 76ers returned home for a Saturday night throwdown with the Charlotte Hornets. The Sixers picked up right where they left off on Saturday as they immediately got hot on offense against Charlotte.

In the first quarter, the Sixers outscored the Hornets 39-24, despite turning the ball over three more times than the Hornets early on. Despite getting off to a slow start offensively, thanks to Philly's stout defense, the Hornets couldn't really make a dent in the Sixers' lead as both teams put up 34 points in the second quarter.

Through the first half, Philly kept up their recent trend of having stellar ball movement, and the shots were falling for them early on. At halftime, the Sixers had drained 60-percent of their shots from the field while knocking down just under 55-percent of their shots from three. Going into the third quarter, the 76ers had a comfortable double-digit lead over the Hornets as they led 73-58.

This season, the Sixers have done a solid job of keeping their leads secure in the second half. While they remained in the driver's seat against the Hornets after coming out in the second half, their third-quarter performance wasn't necessarily their best.

After having two-quarters of solid ball movement, the 76ers got sloppy coming out of the intermission as they committed ten turnovers, which translated into 17 points. Meanwhile, the Hornets turned the ball over eight times, which the Sixers struggled to capitalize on. Charlotte ended up outscoring Philly in the third quarter as they looked to climb back after an ugly start.

By the time the final quarter rolled around, the Hornets remained aggressive on both sides -- especially on defense, which gave the 76ers a hard time taking care of the ball and getting into a rhythm. Once the Sixers calmed down and countered Charlotte's relentless attacks, Philly managed to keep the game out of the Hornets' reach.

Thanks to his offensive aggressiveness once again, Sixers forward Tobias Harris led his team with 24 points. Meanwhile, Seth Curry and Joel Embiid combined for 40 points while Ben Simmons collected his first triple-double of the season with 15 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds.

Overall, Philly wrapped up the night with a 127-112 win over the Hornets, which helps them move to 5-1 on the year. The Sixers and the Hornets will face off against each other for another matchup in South Philly on Monday night.