Observations After Maxey's 38 Points Lead Sixers To Halloween Win Over Hornets

Observations after Maxey's 38 points lead Sixers to Halloween win over Hornets  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey’s 38-point performance helped the Sixers pull out a Halloween win in Charlotte.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Sixers earned a 109-104 victory over the Hornets.

Along with Maxey, the Sixers’ double-figure scorers were Anfernee Simons (19 points), Jaylen Brown (16 points), Jabari Walker (12) and VJ Edgecombe (10).

Grayson Allen scored 27 points for the Hornets and Brandon Miller added 24.

The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (right foot plantar fascia injury management) and LeBron James (low back sciatica management). Charlotte’s injured players included Kon Knueppel, Coby White and Grant Williams. 

Next on the 6-1 Sixers’ schedule is a matchup with the Bulls on Monday night in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their win over the Hornets:

Maxey attacks early, keeps the points flowing

Adem Bona started for the first time this season, replacing Embiid. Brown and Dean Wade were the Sixers’ starting forwards with James out. 

Edgecombe posted the game’s first points with a three that narrowly beat the shot clock. Maxey scored the Sixers’ next seven and put his team up 10-5 with a smooth step-back jumper.  

He made his first four field goals and immediately hurt Charlotte in both the half court and transition. With all of his experience in undermanned situations over the years, Maxey has zero trouble tweaking his approach depending on who the Sixers have available. He was a tad more attack-minded than usual in the early going.

Maxey reached 15 points when he zoomed in for a layup late in the first quarter. He’s been ultra-consistent to start the season, recording at least 26 points in all seven of the Sixers’ games so far. 

Rough start for Brown in return

Walker and Brown each came back from left knee injuries. Brown was well below his best out of the gates. 

He started 0 for 5 from the floor and also missed his first free throw. The five-time All-Star managed minimal separation off the dribble and had multiple shots blocked in the first quarter. 

Brown became the focal point of the Sixers’ offense when Maxey subbed out. The Hornets surged into the lead. Following an air-balled Brown three, Ryan Kalkbrenner slammed home a dunk. Charlotte took a 23-15 advantage with a 13-0 run.

The Hornets’ bench racked up 20 points in the first quarter. Allen was red-hot in the first half, shooting 5 for 6 from long distance. 

On the Sixers’ side, the team concluded its back-to-back by using a 10-man rotation. Justin Edwards received meaningful minutes for the first time this regular season, getting a short run in the second quarter. Walker served as the Sixers’ main backup center behind Bona. Tacko Fall was available as additional big man depth but did not play. 

The Sixers made a bright start to the second quarter and Walker played a key part, scoring twice inside. Labaron Philon Jr. also gave the Sixers a handy stint as an aggressive, shot-creating guard. The rookie knocked down a three and a tough bucket near the rim. The Sixers pushed back in front and took a 57-54 edge into halftime. 

Simons helps Sixers bring it home

Brown’s second half was a bit better than his first. 

The Sixers did again grow more deliberate when Maxey exited and Brown assumed the No. 1 option job. However, Brown focused more on hitting the paint and had greater success as a driver. 

The Hornets’ defense was determined to slow Maxey and held him to four points on 1-for-4 shooting in the third quarter. Maxey air-balled a long three on the Sixers’ final possession of the third and his team entered the fourth facing a six-point deficit. 

Playing alongside Bona at the start of the fourth quarter, Walker kept up his confident, productive, high-energy night. He converted a second-chance three and a put-back bucket early in the fourth quarter. A Maxey mid-range jumper brought the Hornets’ lead down to 89-86.

The Sixers then conceded a jumper to Allen on an after-timeout play. Bona missed a rare corner three attempt and picked up his fifth foul with 6:46 left. The Sixers want Bona to lean into his shot-blocking strength, but the 23-year-old’s foul trouble tends to be more damaging in Embiid-less games. He fouled excessively in his first two NBA seasons and hasn’t yet shown significant improvement in that area.

To their considerable credit, the Sixers hung around and didn’t view the night as a lost cause.

They tightened their defense, preventing the Hornets from a cruise to the final buzzer. Simons played a valuable role offensively, ensuring Maxey didn’t have to win it with a solo show. He’s been great the last three games, averaging 20 points off the bench and draining 16 of 27 threes (59.3 percent).

Simons canned a late jumper and made a fast-break layup. Two Maxey free throws gave the Sixers a 102-101 lead.

Yet again, Edgecombe was happy to fire a giant shot in the clutch. He nailed a step-back three over Allen with 35.4 seconds to go and the Sixers’ bench poured out on the floor in celebration. On the final night of October, the Sixers snagged their sixth win.