The Sixers are in Charlotte on Saturday night to take on the Hornets as they charge towards a better playoff seeding with the season winding down.
Philadelphia is coming off a blowout win over the Bulls, while the Hornets have won seven of their last eight games and five straight after a 114-103 win over the Knicks on Thursday.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (40-33) at Charlotte Hornets (39-34)
When: 6 p.m. EST
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, FanDuel Sports Network Southeast
Nine games remain this season for the Sixers, and six are against teams who are expected to be in the playoffs, or at least the play-in tournament. The Sixers have their work cut out for them as they hope to climb up the standings and avoid the play-in themselves. Having Paul George and Joel Embiid return on Wednesday was huge. The pair combined for 63 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, while George also recorded four steals. The hope is that Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. can return tonight, as both were upgraded to questionable.
George had a strange return earlier this season: he was far from the Paul George known across the league offensively, but he was contributing on defense. Then the suspension took effect, and he was out for 25 games. This could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Sixers and their playoff hopes. In his return, George shot just 2-10 and finished with five points to begin the game, but found his shot after halftime, shooting 9-12 in the second half on his way to 28 points.
Embiid returned to his dominant self a bit sooner, with 35 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, in just 28 minutes. He showed that when he's healthy, he's arguably the most unstoppable offensive player in the game. Having both players back and healthy is huge for a Sixers team that could do some real damage in the playoffs.
The Hornets started off the season looking much like the lottery team that they've been in recent years, then the New Year hit, and they've become one of the hottest teams in the league. Starting at 11-22, things didn't look good for them, but after January 1st, the team has gone 28-12 and put themselves in a good position for the playoffs. Only the Thunder, Celtics, and Spurs have a better record in 2026 than the Hornets.
While the Hornets aren't the biggest team in the league, they are in the top five in rebounding on the season and hit more three-pointers on second-chance shots than any team in the league. They're the second-best three-point shooting team in the league at 38.2% per game, while also jumping up to 12th in team defense, allowing just 114.4 points per game. Rebounding and three-point shooting are their two strong suits, and the two things the Sixers struggle with.
Despite Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball being the two biggest stars on the team, rookie Kon Knueppel has become a huge star in his own right, currently putting up 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, and more impressively, shooting 43.8% on three-point attempts. He's currently sixth in the league in shooting despite shooting almost twice as many per game as those listed above him. The Hornets have been playing some of their best team basketball in a long time, and it's been showing.
If Maxey and Oubre Jr. are able to return to action, the Sixers will be as healthy as they've been all season, with their stars ready to take on the grind of the playoffs, and it couldn't come at a better time. The teams have split their series 1-1 so far, and tonight decides the series, but it could have larger implications. With the Hornets just one game behind the Sixers in the standings, a win would give them the tie-breaker into seventh place in the conference. Both teams are within striking distance of the Raptors and the Hawks for the fifth- and sixth-seeds.
While the return of Embiid and George bodes well for the Sixers and the play of rookie star VJ Edgecombe, the team won't have as easy a game against the Hornets as they would have in the past. This new version of the Hornets, playing well on both ends of the floor, just took down the Knicks on Thursday night and has its sights set on moving out of the play-in tournament. Their health, combined with a very good two-way team, has made them a very difficult opponent, especially for a Sixers team that struggles with the very things that the Hornets do well.
The Sixers will need their star players to deliver as they did against the Bulls, while the role players step up in big ways to help balance the Hornets' attack. While the big names get the spotlight, players like Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwards, Cam Payne, and Jabari Walker will all need to give the team some quality minutes on both ends of the court. The difference tonight could just be that Paul George used his 25-game suspension to get healthier than he's been in a long time and is trying to turn back the clock a bit to show that he's still the player he was just a few short years ago.
Sixers 123 - Hornets 121
