Sixers Topple Hornets, 105-99

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 105-99, at Spectrum Arena
on Monday evening. The Sixers (21-34) are clearly an improved team this season,
and Monday’s game was a tangible example of such. In past seasons, even a
Philadelphia squad at full strength would have found a win on the road a near
impossibility. Take out two key players and a 30-to-40-point defeat was a very
real possibility. However, this season’s unit is playing with a very different
level of confidence, and that intangible was pivotal to the Sixers notching a
hard-fought victory despite the absences of Joel Embiid (knee) and Jahlil Okafor
(coach’s decision). Six players managed double digits in the scoring column, and
Philadelphia shot 47.7 percent from the field overall. They played strong
defense as well, limiting the Hornets (24-31) to a 43.6 percent success rate
from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Dario Saric led the
visitors overall with 18 points off the bench, which he supplemented with 11
boards, three assists and one block. Robert Covington tallied 17 points, five
rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. T.J. McConnell supplied 14
points, seven assists, four rebounds and one steal. Gerald Henderson and Nerlens
Noel provided matching 12-point efforts, with the former adding four boards and
one assist, and the latter registering seven boards, one assist, three steals
and two blocks. Nik Stauskas generated 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and
one steal. Kemba Walker paced the Hornets with a game-high 29 points, which he
supplemented with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Nicolas Batum
compiled 16 points, four assists, one rebound and two steals. Frank Kaminsky III
posted a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double that also included two assists,
three blocks and one steal. Jeremy Lamb led the second unit with 12 points and
one steal. Marco Belinelli and Brian Roberts were productive as well with
matching eight-point efforts. The Sixers travel to Beantown for a Wednesday
night date with the Boston Celtics, while the Hornets travel north of the border
to tangle with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday evening as well.