North Charlotte Today

The Charlotte Hornets faced a tough challenge on Friday night as they concluded their back-to-back road games in Philadelphia against the 76ers. Despite their efforts, the Hornets fell short in overcoming a 23-point deficit, losing 108-98.

Vasilije Micić, returning to face his former team, led the Hornets with a season-high 20 points and four assists. Off the bench, DaQuan Jeffries contributed 12 points and Isaiah Wong added a career-high of 11 points.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid was instrumental in securing the victory with game highs of 34 points and nine assists. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points while Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed another strong performance with 22 points.

After allowing nine three-pointers and conceding a season-high of 41 first-quarter points, Charlotte's defense improved significantly in the second quarter, limiting Philadelphia to just 17 points. This allowed them to close the gap at halftime to 58-46. Although Charlotte managed to narrow it down further late in the game, fatigue set in and Philadelphia capitalized by scoring on six consecutive possessions.

Over three quarters, Charlotte outscored Philadelphia by eight points and limited them to only three successful three-point shots out of eighteen attempts. In contrast to their previous encounter where they allowed more free throws, this time they managed better control defensively.

Charlotte played without key starters LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams due to injury management concerns. Their absence left an already undersized lineup struggling against larger opponents like Joel Embiid.

Turnovers were problematic for Charlotte as they committed seventeen during this matchup leading directly to twenty-six Philadelphia points.

Hornets Head Coach Charles Lee praised his team's resilience postgame saying: "[These players are] fighters, consistent competitors... I was proud of the fight.”

The Hornets will return home on Monday night hosting Western Conference contenders Houston Rockets aiming for another win after defeating them earlier this season during opening night.