76ers Beat Hornets 109-104 as Maxey Scores 38 in Charlotte

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-104 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Saturday, October 31, closing the game on a 15-3 run on the second night of a back to back. Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points for Philadelphia, which won its third straight game and improved to 6-1. Charlotte fell to 3-4.

Charlotte starts fast, Maxey answers

Charlotte led 37-27 after the first quarter, with Grayson Allen and Brandon Miller leading the early scoring. Allen finished with 27 points and Miller with 24 for the Hornets. Philadelphia answered in the second quarter behind Maxey, who scored 19 of his 38 points in the first half. The 76ers went into halftime ahead 57-54, a complete turn from the ten point deficit after one quarter. Maxey's 19 first half points led that turn, and his 38 points were the game high for either team on the night.

Help around Maxey

Maxey did not carry the offense alone. Anfernee Simons added 19 points. Jaylen Brown, returning to the lineup, had 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Jabari Walker returned from injury with 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid and LeBron James, who both sat out the second night of the back to back after playing Friday against New York. The returns mattered on a short handed night. With Embiid and James out, Philadelphia needed scoring and minutes from the players coming back, and Brown and Walker gave the team both, combining for 28 points and 10 rebounds between them.

A 15-3 run closes it

Charlotte stayed close into the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia outscored the Hornets 32-21 in the final period and ended the game on a 15-3 run. VJ Edgecombe hit a three pointer in the final minute and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, and the closing run turned a tight finish into Philadelphia's third straight win.

Both teams played short handed. Charlotte played without Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams, and still led by ten points after the first quarter and trailed by only three at halftime, before Philadelphia's closing run settled a game that had stayed tight into the final minutes. Philadelphia next hosts the Chicago Bulls on Monday.