Sixers Hornets Paul George Tyrese Maxey

Sixers take down a healthy Hornets squad 121-108 with Maxey and PG carrying the load

In a season that’s starting to feel more like a medical experiment than a basketball campaign, the Sixers improved to 8-16 on the season with a 121-108 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Despite a week filled with bad injury news—Jared McCain’s torn MCL and Joel Embiid’s first-in-NBA-history sinus fracture—Tyrese Maxey and Paul George showed up with a simple message: we’re not tanking yet.

Good Performances

Paul George: 33 points, 8 assists – 13/20 FG, 6/9 3pt

For the first time all season, PG looked like, well, PG. In his first game without the knee brace in months, Point Guard PG dropped his first 30+ point game in a Sixers uniform.

The burst was back—faint glimpses of the younger George appeared as he drove into the paint, kicked out to shooters, and calmly dropped floaters.

The shot-making was absurd: step-back threes, tough turnarounds, and bully-ball finishes at the rim. It’s borderline comical how George can casually pace himself like he’s jogging through a rec league game while torching defenses.

Postgame PG: “I felt good without the extra luggage.”

If this is what PG looks like without “the luggage,” Sixers fans might finally get the version they were promised when he signed that massive contract.

Even with a sprinkle of boneheaded turnovers (as tradition), George orchestrating the offense was a welcome sight for a team in desperate need of stability.

Tyrese Maxey: 40 points, 5 assists – 12/28, 6/12 3pt

Maxey and George combined for 73 of the Sixers’ 121 points, going full supernova in the first quarter with 27 of the team’s 31 points. It was vintage Maxey—finally. After weeks of cold shooting, the lid came off the rim, and the Hornets had no answer for him.

Yes, Maxey still tends plays frantic, barreling 100 mph to the rim, but he showed a little more poise tonight than we’ve witnessed over the first leg of the season.

Maxey slowed the pace when needed, mixed in a handful of silky mid-range jumpers, and got creative around the basket. Plus, the dude finally drew some whistles and hit the line a few times—something Sixers fans have been begging for.

If Maxey can keep blending that breakneck speed with smarter decision-making, the Sixers might have something to build on while their walking MASH unit gets healthy.

Kelly Oubre: 19 points, 4 assists, 9 rebounds – 7/11 FG

Kelly Oubre almost made it four straight double-doubles with another active, gritty performance. He’s been a spark-plug for the Sixers, giving them:

  • Buckets: Oubre’s shot has been reliable lately, both from deep and in isolation.
  • Boards: 9 rebounds tonight, continuing his dominance on the glass.
  • Defense: Arguably their most consistent defender in recent weeks, especially with injuries piling up.

Oubre’s effort has been critical during this mini-uptick, and it’s genuinely refreshing to see him attack off the dribble and scrap for extra possessions. He’s streaky, sure, but you live with the streakiness when he plays this hard.

Bad Performances

Guerschon Yabusele 

Yabu’s been rough the last few games, and tonight was no exception: 0 points, 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. The Sixers got smoked on the glass when he was in, and he hesitated on a couple of open threes, which isn’t helping anyone. He’s being forced into a backup 5 role (where he doesn’t belong), but still—it wasn’t pretty. Those thicc cheeks looked especially slow against Charlotte’s younger, bouncier frontcourt.

Kyle Lowry

Played 18 minutes and scored 3 points.  I don’t know why he continues to get minutes.  Nobody knows why he continues to get minutes.  Maybe the secret government drones are looking for the body that he helped Nick Nurse bury in order to blackmail his way onto the court.

Sixers Game Notes:

Andre Drummond > Adem Bona: I said some wild things a few weeks ago, and I’d like to apologize. Drummond pulled down 15 rebounds tonight and made his presence felt in the paint. Bona? Not quite there yet.

Joel Embiid’s Sinus Fracture: Didn’t know you could fracture a sinus. Science is wild, and so are Embiid’s injuries. This man needs to play in full body armor, and I’ve been saying that for years.

NBA Scheduling Is Dumb: I don’t care what the numbers say—it feels like we’ve played the Hornets 13 times already.

Join The Chase

Mandatory Credit: NBA.com / Getty Images

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