Embiid, Harris key Sixers to win over Hornets

The NBA is driven by high-end talent. Great coaching, high effort, and team chemistry are nice, but pure skill and ability drive the league like no other organized sport.

Fortunately for the Sixers, they have it in abundance.

Powered by several terrific performances from its stars, Philadelphia defeated the Hornets 118-111 on Wednesday night in Charlotte to move to 16-6 on the year. The Sixers have now won 14 consecutive games against the Hornets, tied for the longest active winning streak that one team has over another. The Sixers also improved 12-0 when their full starting lineup—Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Seth Curry, and Ben Simmons—all take the floor.

After averaging a relatively modest 16.5 points on only 10.5 field goal attempts through his first two games this season against Charlotte, Embiid torched the Hornets for 34 on 18 tries. He scored in a variety of ways, posting up and owning the interior, from 3-point range where he was 3-for-5, and at the line where he was 9-for-10. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and came away with two steals and a block. It marked Embiid’s fifth 30-10 game out of his last six.

Though the 7’, 280-pound big starred, it was far from a one-man show. Tobias Harris continued to make a case for his first All-Star appearance with 26 points on just 15 shots. The 28-year-old is now averaging a career high 20.6 points and owns a stellar 51.5/45.5/86.0 shooting slash. Ben Simmons chipped in a well-rounded effort with 15 points, 6 boards, and nine assists. His backcourt partner Danny Green had another hot shooting night going 6-of-9 from the field and draining 4 of his 7 threes en route to 16 points. After struggling from deep through his first five appearances as a Sixer, the 12-year veteran is shooting 39.8% on 6.9 3-point attempts over his last 17 contests.

The only Sixer starter to struggle was Seth Curry. The 30-year-old shooting guard went scoreless in 28 minutes and only attempted three shots. He did finish a team best +18, but the lack of tangible offensive impact was just the latest in a string of ineffective outings. In his last five games, Curry has averaged only 6.0 points on a ghastly 28.6% shooting, including 25.0% from three. The residual effects of contracting COVID-19 may be contributing to his poor play.

Still, the dominance of the opening quintet had the Sixers up big for the bulk of the game. After trading baskets in the opening minutes and falling behind 7-5, the offense detonated, scoring 16 straight and finishing the quarter on an extended 23-6 stretch. Embiid matched the Hornets by himself with 13 points in the period. The second quarter was mostly the Sixers maintaining the double-digit lead. After a pair of Cody Zeller free throws made it 44-30, an Embiid fadeaway kicked off another big run, this time 16-4. By the end of the half, Philadelphia had a comfortable 64-42 advantage and appeared well on its way to a blowout.

But the Hornets did their best to flip the script in the second half. Keyed by a 10-point third quarter by Devonte Graham, they outscored the Sixers by 9 in the period. In the final frame, LaMelo Ball’s flash and Gordon Hayward’s steady veteran hand charged the Hornets. Both players finished with 22 points. Hayward in particular turned in a vintage performance, adding 6 rebounds and nine assists. Graham added 18 points and 7 assists. The latter two were the only Hornet starters to record positive on-court differentials at +8 and +6, respectively. At one point, Charlotte even managed to cut the lead to 5 in the final minute of play.

Even with the lackluster second half, though, the end result was never really in doubt. The Sixers won the battle on the glass 40-38, outscored Charlotte 52-40 in the paint, and turned 16 Hornet turnovers into 22 points. As a team, the Sixers shot 51.3% from the field and 40.0% from three. They even bullied their way to 9 more free throw attempts (32-23) than the Hornets.

The Sixers will look to make it five wins in a row on Thursday night when they return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers at 8 p.m. Despite being ravaged by injuries, the Blazers are a solid 11-9 on the year, carried as always by the brilliant play of their floor general, Damian Lillard. The five-time All-Star is in the midst of one of his best seasons, posting 29.1 points and 7.3 assists per night.