Embiid, Harden Ensure 76ers Avoid Trap Game vs. Hornets

There were no trap games in Charlotte on Friday, as Joel Embiid, James Harden, and the 76ers took care of business.

Friday night’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets had the perfect makings of a trap game. 

The home team was shorthanded, missing several key players. Going into the matchup, Charlotte had just 22 wins and 49 losses. They dropped their last three games.

The visitors, on the other hand, came into Friday’s game red-hot. Placed third in the Eastern Conference, the 46-22 Sixers were riding a six-game win streak. Aside from the veteran reserve Jalen McDaniels, the Sixers were quite healthy.

Earlier in the year, the Sixers had their moments when they’ve played down to lesser opponents, falling into a classic trap game scenario. 

As they prepare for playoffs, though, the Sixers were all about handling their business in Charlotte and hitting the road again on Friday.

The Hornets put up a good fight through the first quarter of action. Draining 46 percent of their shots, the Hornets scored 29 points on the Sixers and changed the lead over eight times.

However, the Sixers started to pull away in the second quarter. With a perfect showing in the six minutes he was on the court, Joel Embiid drained all six of his shots for 12 points. James Harden dished out six assists as the Sixers gained a 12-point advantage going into halftime.

The third quarter was the point of no return for Philadelphia. Embiid almost couldn’t miss on the offensive end, as he shot 6-7 from the field, scoring 14 points in ten minutes. By the end of his third-quarter shift, the big man had 38 points in 29 minutes. Friday’s game marked the eighth time Embiid scored at least 30 points.

James Harden was the only Sixers starter to log minutes in the fourth quarter. After he checked in for two minutes, the ten-time All-Star got the rest of the night off. When the veteran guard left the court, he had his fifth triple-double of the year. He’s now one triple-double shy of 75 in his career. 

With some quality garbage time minutes, the Sixers beat the Hornets with ease. After Philly’s reserves outscored Charlotte 29-15, the Sixers closed out the matchup with a dominant 121-82 win. 

After picking up their seventh-straight victory, the Sixers are set to travel to Indiana as they are set to face the Pacers on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.