Sixers Maintain Best Record in the NBA by Blowing Out the Hornets

The Sixers dominated the Hornets again tonight in a 118-101 win at home, extending their winning streak to four games. The Sixers have beaten the Hornets 13 straight times. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have never lost a game against the Hornets. In back-to-back blowout wins, the 76ers look to be hitting their stride just seven games into the season.

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Team Basketball

Doc Rivers has been preaching the importance of team play since he first stepped foot in the building, and in just a short period of time, the team has latched on to that philosophy. In tonight’s win, there were seven players in double figures, marking the 3rd straight game with five or more players with double-digit scoring totals. Even on a night where Joel Embiid didn’t score or play much (14 PTS), the rest of the team picked up slack and dominated in the areas in which Charlotte was weak.

Team basketball applies to both ends of the court and the Sixers’ defense has been dominant throughout the season. Through seven games, the Sixers rank 1st in the league in Defensive Rating (99.9), 6th in steals (56), and 1st in blocks (46).

I love nothing more than watching the starters hype up the late rotation guys during blowouts, and over the past 3 games, it has been amazing to see how unified this roster has become and how much the culture has grown in such a short period of time this season.

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Final stats
Embiid 14-11-4-2-3
Harris 22-5-2
Simmons 12-10-6
Green 13-6-3
Curry 11-1-2
Milton 10-2-6
Maxey 11-2-2

— Kevin McCormick (@KevinMcCNBA) January 5, 2021

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Sixers Leaders

Tobias Harris led the charge again tonight, with 22 points and 5 rebounds on 10-16 shooting. Harris was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier today and added on to his fantastic stretch of play.

Simmons stuffed the stat sheet again tonight with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block. While his impact hasn’t been as evident on the box score, Ben’s leadership, hustle, and control of the game has been a huge factor in the team’s recent success.

Danny Green and Seth Curry have been as good as advertised, and showed out again in the win tonight. Green struggled early in the year but is seeming to find his footing, scoring 13 points tonight on 3-8 shooting from 3. Curry has proved to have a much deeper bag than I realized, adding 11 points in a variety of ways.

The Sixers get a day off tomorrow, as the rest for the following day’s matchup against Washington in the Nation’s Capitol.

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The Sixers close out the first half on a 27-7 run, lead the Hornets 58-43.#HereTheyCome | @JustinJBradley pic.twitter.com/U04o64Ut4V

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) January 5, 2021

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Charlotte Leaders

Gordon Hayward had the most bland 18 point performance in NBA history, and Devontae Graham added 15 points as well.

Mandatory Credit: Philadelphia 76ers