Rising Charlotte Hornets have hope against the Philadelphia 76ers

Fourth in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets have a lot going for them heading into Philly.

Mar 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) observes the national anthem before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Injury Report

Hornets: OUT: Miles Bridges (knee), DaQuan Jeffries (hand), Nick Richards (rib), Mark Williams (foot) PROBABLE: Mann (back soreness)

76ers: OUT: Tyrese Maxey (hamstring), Joel Embiid (suspension)

Game Preview

The Charlotte Hornets (4-5) travel to Philadelphia to play the 76ers (1-7) on Sunday (Nov. 10) with new hope. After all, the Queen City team is coming off back-to-back home wins against the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons last week — the latter an impressive last-minute victory thanks to a buzzer-beating Brandon Miller tip-in. Subsequently, the Hornets routed the Pacers in a 103-83 blowout on Friday. (Lamelo Ball had 31 points — on par with his production this season so far.) Can Charlotte keep that momentum going against the 76ers on Sunday?

Truth be told, the Hornets should be able to pull it off, all things considered — seeing as how the 76ers, who are dead last in the Eastern Conference, are coming off a 116-106 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, despite Jared McCain's team-leading 18 points. And for Sunday's game, the Philly squad will be without Tyrese Maxey, who is still sidelined with a right hamstring strain, as well as Joel Embiid as he serves the final of a three-game suspension from the league following his altercation with Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Not that the Hornets aren't without their injury issues. Miller recently returned to action following a glute injury. And Hornets fans have not yet seen third-year center Mark Williams this season due to his foot injury in the preseason. Also, for Sunday's game at Philaldelphia's Wells Fargo Center, the Hornets' Miles Bridges will still be out after injuring his knee — he hyperextended it attempting to block a shot by Detroit's Jaden Ivey last week — and DaQuann Jeffries remains out with hand issues. The burgeoning Tre Mann is listed as probable for Charlotte with low back soreness.

Despite all of that, the Hornets seem well positioned to capitalize on Philaldelphia's vulnerabilities on the court. With key players sidelined for Philadelphia, the pressure falls to their young roster to fill the void left by Embiid and Maxey, potentially creating scoring gaps that Charlotte can exploit. For the Hornets, Ball's consistency and Miller's confidence should prove golden. If Charlotte can maintain their defensive discipline and limit their turnovers, another road victory may be within their reach, further boosting their standing in the Eastern Conference.

Key matchup

Brandon Miller vs. Kelly Oubre Jr.

Who wouldn't want to see Charlotte's newest and brightest star, Brandon Miller, take on former Hornet Kelly Oubre Jr.? Although the two never played together in Charlotte — Oubre left for Philly in 2023, right before Miller was drafted — the matchup should still be a highlight. Both bring unique strengths to the court: Miller has scoring ability and defensive prowess, while Oubre Jr.'s athleticism and versatility make him a formidable opponent.

Projected starting lineups

	Charlotte Hornets	Philadelphia 76ers
G	Lamelo Ball	Kyle Lowry
G	Brandon Miller	Kelly Oubre Jr.
F	Josh Green	Paul George
F	Tidjane Salaün	Caleb Martin
C	Taj Gibson	Andre Drummond

The Hornets' following game is at Orlando Magic on Tuesday (Nov. 12) at 7 p.m. ET.

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