Maxey Leads Sixers Past Hornets 109-104 Without Star Players

The Philadelphia 76ers secured a 109-104 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night at the Spectrum Center, driven by a stellar 38-point performance from Tyrese Maxey. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back following a grueling win against the New York Knicks, the visitors managed to pull off the comeback win despite resting major stars LeBron James and Joel Embiid.

Maxey logged 38 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 38 minutes of play. Speaking after the game, the guard highlighted the resilience of his squad. "This is a group of fighters," Maxey said. "We are a team pretty competitive and it's something that I adore about this group." He added, "Always I trust that I can make the right play, we have a lot of weapons and we do not like to lose."

The game featured a dramatic late-game surge by Philadelphia. Trailing by seven points with 3:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, the 76ers engineered a decisive 13-0 run to stun the sellout crowd of 19,533 spectators in Charlotte. The momentum shift erased a strong effort from the home team, which had built an advantage when Brandon Miller blocked a layup and immediately assisted Moussa Diabate for a dunk in the pick-and-roll to make it 97-90.

Philadelphia chipped away at the deficit behind key baskets from Anfernee Simons, who contributed 19 points off the bench. Maxey secured the lead for good with a pair of free throws with 1:22 remaining on the game clock. V.J. Edgecombe then extended the advantage to 105-101 by sinking a three-pointer from the left wing. Free throws from Maxey and Jaylen Brown in the final seconds sealed the outcome.

For the Hornets, Grayson Allen delivered his finest performance of the young season, shooting 27 points off the bench while making nine of 12 attempts from the field, including seven three-pointers. Brandon Miller added 24 points with five three-pointers of his own. Despite these contributions, Charlotte stumbled down the stretch, including a missed uncontested layup by Sion James with 24 seconds left.

The victory improves Philadelphia's early-season record, serving as a significant milestone achieved on the road and without key rotation pieces. Jaylen Brown chipped in 16 points for the 76ers after entering the contest as a game-time decision, and Dean Wade grabbed 10 rebounds to support the shorthanded roster.

Both teams entered the matchup dealing with roster limitations. The Hornets played the second night of a back-to-back without injured guards Coby White, who is sidelined with a calf issue, and Kon Knueppel, out with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, the 76ers opted to rest James and Embiid after their intense NBA Cup battle the previous night.

Looking ahead to their next fixtures, the Philadelphia 76ers are scheduled to return home to host the Chicago team on Monday night. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets will remain at home to welcome Detroit on Monday night.