Tyrese Maxey leads Sixers to 109-104 win over Hornets
Tyrese Maxey scored a season-high 38 points as Philadelphia beat Charlotte 109-104, overcoming the absence of Joel Embiid and LeBron James.
Philadelphia secured a 109-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night, despite missing center Joel Embiid and NBA star LeBron James. The win marked the Sixers' sixth triumph in their first seven games of the 2026-2027 season.
Tyrese Maxey was the offensive catalyst, delivering a season-high 38 points, including 15 in the opening quarter. He converted key free throws in the final minutes to give Philadelphia the edge. Anfernee Simons added a fifth triple of the game, and VJ Edgecombe hit a decisive three-pointer with under a minute left, completing a 13-0 run that sealed the result.
Head coach Nick Nurse highlighted Maxey's role, saying, "> It was good. With missing one of your impact scorers, it's going to change the rotations a lot, and somebody of the three is probably going to be out there on their own. That was Tyrese tonight."
The lineup featured a mix of guards and forwards as Nurse adjusted to the limited frontcourt options. Dean Wade and Adem Bona started in place of Embiid and James, while returning forward Jabari Walker logged significant minutes at the five position, drawing praise from Nurse for his performance.
Philadelphia will host the Chicago Bulls on Monday night following the win.