The Philadelphia 76ers came out with a full lineup in their weekend game against the Charlotte Hornets. The team finally played with all of its Big Three—Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George—available.
It was not expected to be a walk in the park, as the Hornets have become one of the more dangerous teams this month. They entered the game carrying a six-game winning streak.
That proved to be the case. The Sixers were pushed to the limit and only secured the win on the final possession of the game.
The Hornets were leading by one point entering the final two minutes. Paul George put the Sixers in the driver’s seat at the 1:39 mark with two free throws. LaMelo Ball took it back with a three-pointer to regain the lead.
It became a see-saw battle from there, with both teams playing top-notch defense. The Sixers eventually got the upper hand, 116–114, with 1:04 to go, as Tyrese Maxey found George for a three-pointer. Maxey later added another point to their lead by splitting a pair of free throws.
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The Hornets refused to surrender, and they even got a little help from the referees. According to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report, the officials made a mistake that could have altered the outcome of the game.
The error involved an incorrect call on Hornets forward Moussa Diabate. His team was awarded another possession even though he was the last to touch the ball before it went out of bounds. Fortunately for the referees, LaMelo Ball missed the three-point attempt that followed that call.
The Hornets continued hustling and earned more attempts at the rim, but they failed to capitalize. The game was sealed in the final seconds when Charlotte was forced to foul, and George made one of two free throws. The Sixers closed it out, 118–114.
The win allowed the Sixers to remain within reach of an automatic playoff spot, while the Hornets fell to No. 10 and then lost to the Boston Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back.
