Joel Embiid scored 29 points, Paul George finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds and Philadelphia 76ers rallied from 13 points down in the second half for a 118-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
With its fourth win in five games, Philadelphia extended its lead over Charlotte to two games in the race for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.<\/p>\n
Tyrese Maxey returned to the Sixers’ starting lineup and added 26 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. The All-Star guard had been sidelined since March 7 due to a tendon injury in his right pinkie finger.<\/p>\n
Brandon Miller hit five 3-pointers and finished with 29 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte, which had its five-game winning streak halted. LaMelo Ball pitched in with 20 points and eight assists, and Moussa Diabate added 10 points and 11 rebounds.<\/p>\n
Charlotte led 36-25 after the first quarter. Philadelphia’s 39-point second quarter cut the lead to 69-64 at halftime. Embiid led all scorers with 21 points in the first half, while Maxey added 17. Miller led Charlotte with 18 points in the opening periods.<\/p>\n
Charlotte made 10 of 24 shots from beyond the arc in the opening half, while the Sixers went 10 for 19.<\/p>\n
Charlotte used a 11-0 run over a four-minute stretch to open a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter. The Sixers rallied and closed within five points at 97-92 heading into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia took its first lead of the game at the 8:51 mark of the fourth. The lead changed hands nine times in the final eight minutes of the game.<\/p>\n
The Sixers went ahead for good when George hit a 3-pointer with 1:04 to play. Charlotte had two chances to tie the game, but Ball’s 3-point attempts missed the mark.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
76ers: At the Miami Heat on Monday.<\/p>\n
Hornets: Host the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.<\/p>\n