Philadelphia @ Charlotte preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 19, 2018 ) Charlotte 94, Philadelphia 108

The Philadelphia 76ers look to extend their winning streak to 10 without leading scorer and rebounder Joel Embiid in the lineup as they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday afternoon. The 76ers pushed their winning streak to nine with a 109-101 victory at Atlanta on Friday in the first game since Embiid (22.9 points, 11.0 rebounds) suffered a fractured orbital bone.

“Without Joel it just means we run more, we shoot the ball a lot more from 3, and it’s a quicker game,” Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons told reporters of Embiid, who has no timetable for return after surgery. “But we lose that big presence of him in the post, changing shots and things like that. So we lose a lot, but we’re able to move the ball a lot quicker.” The 76ers are a half-game behind Cleveland for third place in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand and a half-game up on Indiana for fourth as they go for a sixth straight win over Charlotte. The Hornets had won four straight before losing two in a row, including a 107-93 loss at Washington on Saturday afternoon in which they allowed 18 makes from 3-point range. Veteran center Dwight Howard notched his fifth straight double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but leading scorer Kemba Walker was just 3-for-9 from the field and finished with single digits (seven points) for the first time since March 6.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE 76ERS (45-30): Simmons recorded 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in Friday’s victory for his 11th triple-double of the season and the fifth in 10 contests as he continues put up impressive numbers. “I’m just happy that we got the win,” Simmons told reporters. “. ... But I think my teammates, if I didn’t have these guys, I wouldn’t get these triple-doubles. They make it easy for me.” Guard J.J. Redick has raised his level of play the last three games, averaging 19.7 points - more than three above his season mark.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-43): Rookie guard Malik Monk has showed plenty of progress in March and ended the month by scoring 17, dishing out three assists and draining three 3-pointers in Saturday’s loss. Center Willy Hernangomez, acquired from the New York Knicks in early February, has also picked up his production of late while averaging 8.5 points and six rebounds over the last eight contests. Third-leading scorer Jeremy Lamb (13.1 points) missed Saturday’s game with a foot injury and his status is uncertain.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 76ers have registered at least 30 assists in eight consecutive games, matching the club record in 1980.

2. Howard is fourth in the league with 48 double-doubles - five shy of his total with Atlanta last season.

3. Philadelphia G Marco Belinelli is averaging 14.9 points over the last seven games - more than three above his season mark.

PREDICTION: 76ers 108, Hornets 98