Field Level Media
Mar 19, 2019
Ben Simmons scored 28 points, and JJ Redick had 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers earned their fifth straight victory, a 118-114 decision over the host Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Tobias Harris hit three free throws in the final 8.2 seconds, and the Hornets missed a chance to tie the game when Jeremy Lamb was off target on a drive in the lane with two seconds remaining.
The Sixers were without All-Star center Joel Embiid, who was given the night off for load management. Embiid had erupted for 40 points and 15 rebounds in the Sixers' win at Milwaukee on Sunday.
The Sixers (46-25) completed a four-game season sweep of the Hornets. Their five-game winning streak is a season high.
Jimmy Butler added 23 points for the Sixers. Harris finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and James Ennis III scored 14 off the bench.
The Hornets (31-39) have lost nine of their past 12.
Lamb led the Hornets with 26 points. Kemba Walker scored 21 despite sitting out the entire second quarter due to foul trouble. Frank Kaminsky scored 14, Dwayne Bacon 13, and Miles Bridges had eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Hornets gave veteran Tony Parker the night off, and center Cody Zeller missed the game because of a knee injury. The Hornets also lost Michael Kidd-Gilchrist late in the third quarter after he took a shot to the head.
The Sixers solidified their third-place standing in the Eastern Conference. The 10th-place Hornets are now three games behind the eighth-place Miami Heat for the final playoff spot.
The 76ers led 31-30 after one quarter and led by nine in the second quarter before settling for a 62-59 halftime lead. The Hornets then led 89-85 after three quarters. The Sixers took the lead for good with a 3-pointer from Butler that made it 112-109, and then Ennis hit a huge 3-pointer for a 115-111 lead with 18.6 seconds remaining.
The Sixers will return home to face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Hornets, who opened a three-game homestand, will play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
--Field Level Media