Depleted Hornets put up a fight in Philadelphia, lose fourth straight

Charlotte fell short on a comeback attempt as Philadelphia swept the season series

Albert Bottcher | 4 Hours Ago

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets had lost three games in a row heading into their meeting with Philadelphia, most notably coming up short against the lowly Washington Wizards on Thursday night. To make matters worse, LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams were unable to suit up on Friday due to injury management.

A well-rested 76ers team that hadn't played since last beating the Hornets on Monday, blew the game wide open early. Everything was falling for the hosts from behind the arc, as Tyrese Maxey led the charge with 15 first-quarter points. Missing most of their usual ball handlers, the Hornets seemed disoriented on the offensive end.

After trailing by 20 early in the second quarter, Charlotte's bench showed some fighting spirit and clawed their way back into the game. The Hornets' defense played a major role as the 76ers lost their rhythm, turned the ball over, and allowed easy fastbreak points. Down 46-58 at halftime, Charles Lee's squad seemed to have some life left in it.

That wasn't the case at the beginning of the third. Charlotte's starters let the deficit grow to a game-high 23, failing to hold up on either end of the court. Once again, the bench unit managed to stop the bleeding, this time around with some help from a much improved Vasilije Micic.

The table was set for a late surge by the Hornets and they delivered. With seven and a half minutes left in the game, Miles Bridges had a wide-open look from deep which could have brought his team within three. The attempt failed to hit the mark, and Philadelphia took home the win behind a strong fourth-quarter performance by Joel Embiid who scored twelve points.

Best of the night: Intensity from the bench

Charles Lee continues to get productive minutes from unexpected sources. Tidjane Salaün, DaQuan Jeffries, Isiah Wong, and Moussa Diabate all played a crucial role in tonight's rotation. Twice the starting lineup dug themselves into a hole, and both times the Hornets' bench had an answer ready.

It's no coincidence that they were the only four players who finished the game with a positive plus-minus. The consistent high energy not only forced many Philadelphia turnovers but also made the offense noticeably more fluid.

Worst of the night: Miles Bridges

In the absence of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, Bridges needs to step up. Nobody can expect the same kind of output from him that his two running mates usually produce, but the team needs him to score somewhat consistently to win these types of games.

He was able to provide a bit of that punch in the final quarter, but it was an underwhelming performance otherwise. During the first three periods Bridges didn't score a single field goal and had as many points (three), as he had turnovers. When he finally asserted himself more in the closing minutes, he settled for three-pointers too often, connecting on only one of his five attempts.

Stat of the night: Vasilije Micic scores season-high in points

Since his rough start to the season, the former EuroLeague MVP has slowly but surely improved his play. That wasn't as much evident in the first half, where he was a big part of the starting lineup's collective struggle. Micic brought his A-game to the second half though, scoring 17 points on his way to a season-high 20-piece.

Highlight of the night:

Throw it down Nick 💪 @SharonviewFCU // #MemorableMoments pic.twitter.com/7AUn1tAia9
— Hornets On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Hornets) December 21, 2024