Playing with more determination and balance from the start gave the Charlotte Hornets a chance Friday night in Philadelphia. Poor second-half offense and too many late misses on the defensive glass dashed their hopes in a 121-114 road loss to the 76ers.
The biggest positive was Charlotte’s scoring, which had failed to score 100 points in each of its last four games for the first time since 2015. Playing the second straight night on the road against a Philadelphia team who had been out since Tuesday likely also factored into the loss, as did the loss of Seth Curry and Cody Martin to ankle injuries.
A major point of emphasis in this game for the Hornets was getting off to a better start. Down five points after the opener, their offense quickly found another gear, scoring 36 points in the second quarter – 18 in the paint – on 65% shooting to take their own five-point halftime lead. The pendulum swung the other way in the second half, however, as Philadelphia pushed its advantage to double figures midway through the fourth.
An 11-2 run allowed Charlotte to come back with two minutes remaining. Over the 76ers’ next two possessions, they contested three offensive rebounds leading to five back-breaking second-chance points, helping to extend their lead to five with about 31 seconds left. The Hornets didn’t score again and the hosts made another pair of free throws to ice the home win.
Miles Bridges recorded a team-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting, five 3-pointers and 11 rebounds for his 15th seasonal double-double and fifth in last sixth outings in defeat. Nick Richards scored 19 points on a near-perfect 8-of-9 shooting, while three reserves – Grant Williams, Dāvis Bertāns and Vasilije Micić – all had at least 13 points. The extra scoring opportunities allowed late were a microcosm of the entire game for Charlotte. Philadelphia took the glass, 48-32, and scored 28 second-chance points off 15 offensive rebounds.
“I thought our guys played well,” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said afterward. “We just didn’t rebound the ball. They had 28 second chance points, which was the game. We had three stops on one possession and didn’t get the rebound. I thought we did a lot of good things. We just didn’t finish the possessions. I thought we played well in the half court both ways. I thought our ball movement and offensive energy was much better.
Tyrese Maxey totaled a game-high 33 points on 11 of 29 shooting – 5 of 10 from 3-point range – and five assists, good for his eighth straight 20-point game. Tobias Harris had 31 points and 12 rebounds for his first 30-point performance since January 12. Making his first start for his hometown team, Kyle Lowry also doubled up with 15 points and 10 assists. Philadelphia has now won all but two of its last 24 regular season games against Charlotte.
The Hornets will conclude their two-game road trip against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, March 3 starting at 6 p.m. ET. Watch all the action on Bally Sports Southeast and WFNZ 92.7 FM.
