The Sixers hosted the Charlotte Hornets at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday night for their home opener, and after trailing by ten at the end of the third quarter, stormed back in the final quarter to secure a 125–121 victory. The win improved Philadelphia’s record to 2–0, with both victories coming by way of second-half comebacks.
For fans wondering whether Joel Embiid is beginning to regain his superstar form after sitting out most of last season and struggling in the season opener, when he finished with just four points on nine shot attempts, there was reason for optimism in the Sixers’ latest outing. Though still on a minutes restriction of roughly 20 minutes per game, Embiid delivered a strong performance against the Hornets, posting 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. He logged 15 minutes irumn the first half and another five in the third quarter before resting for the entire fourth. Beyond the box score, he appeared noticeably more mobile than in his previous game. While his return to full All-Star form will likely take time, Saturday’s performance suggested meaningful progress and reaffirmed his potential to be a dominant force for the Sixers as the season unfolds.
There is still no clear indication of when, or how quickly, Embiid’s minutes will increase. While it’s possible that this limited workload represents a “new normal” in Philadelphia, where he plays roughly half the game, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions. For now, fans would do well to remember that a part-time Embiid is still far better than no Embiid at all. As the 2023 MVP acknowledged earlier this month, telling ESPN, “If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career.”
Fortunately for Philadelphia, the Sixers appear to have enough quality talent around Embiid to shoulder some of the scoring burden he carried during his back-to-back scoring title seasons in 2022 and 2023.
On Saturday, rookie sensation VJ Edgecombe, fresh off a historic 34-point debut, added 15 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points in 42 minutes and Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 19 points with a team-best +18 plus-minus rating. Off the bench, Quentin Grimes delivered a pivotal performance, scoring 24 points in just 30 minutes. With the game tied and 14 seconds remaining, Grimes buried a clutch three-pointer, his first field goal of the second half, to give the Sixers the lead for good and seal the 125–121 victory.
Also off the bench, Justin Edwards and veteran Andre Drummond were key catalysts in sparking the Sixers’ second-half turnaround. Edwards provided a lift with nine points in just 12 minutes, including two crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Drummond added seven points, two steals, and a game-high 13 rebounds in only 16 minutes of action, a stellar performance that came at the perfect time as Philadelphia mounted its fourth-quarter comeback.
“My number was called, I was prepared, and we did great,” Drummond said after the game.
“We knew we were going to have to use him again,” Coach Nick Nurse said in reference to Drummond. “Joel was down to only a few minutes in the second half, so it was coming eventually. I just thought it was time to try to find some spark of energy and he certainly provided it.”
With such a stellar performance, after logging just three minutes against Boston, Drummond could be in line for more consistent playing time, especially as Embiid continues to operate under a minutes restriction.
At 2–0, the Sixers have plenty to be encouraged about, particularly with the anticipated return of Paul George, whose scoring ability could further elevate the team’s offensive firepower.
Philadelphia will look to build on its early momentum when it hosts the Orlando Magic (1–2) on Monday evening at 7 p.m.
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