Instant Observations: George’s 29 Points Leads 76ers to Win Over Hornets

Paul George scored 29 points, tying his season-high, to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 110-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.

Jared McCain scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting off the bench. Guerschon Yabusele finished with seven points, four assists and a career-high 12 rebounds. The Sixers shot 46.3% from the field and 40.0% from 3-point range. Joel Embiid (left knee injury management/personal reasons) and Andre Drummond (right ankle sprain) are out for the Sixers.

Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting. Nick Richards finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds. The Hornets had a lengthy injury report going into this contest. LaMelo Ball (left calf strain), Miles Bridges (right knee bone bruise), Grant Williams (right ACL tear) and Tre Mann (disc irritation) were all out of the lineup.

The Sixers next take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. Here are some instant observations from the win over the Hornets:

Likes:

– For much of this season, George’s main contribution to the Sixers was his playmaking ability. He came into this game averaging 4.8 assists per game. While he continued to be the primary on-ball creator against Charlotte, he also had one of his better shooting performances of the season. He stepped into his shots with confidence, knocking down a plethora of pull-up 3-pointers.

third 3⃣ of the half for @Yg_Trece pic.twitter.com/kJN2Dvt83f

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 4, 2024

With his jumper in rhythm, George also methodically looked to attack in the painted area. He was too much for Charlotte’s defense to handle, effectively controlling the game through his mixture of shooting and playmaking. George was averaging 14.4 points while shooting a paltry 37.8% from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc heading into this contest. The Sixers will need George to have more nights like the one he did against the Hornets. He also nailed a couple of huge jumpers in the fourth quarter to help hold off a late Charlotte run.

Philly P for 3⃣ pic.twitter.com/nN9g6H2Dgw

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 4, 2024

At his best, he has a lethal combination of outside shooting, shot creation, playmaking and defense. If the Sixers are going to dig themselves out of the early hole they put themselves in this season, it will certainly require George regaining his shooting stroke.

– Before signing with the Sixers late in the 2023 offseason, Oubre spent two seasons playing for the Hornets. It might have been his familiarity playing in Charlotte, but the 28-year old was locked in against his former team. Oubre knocked down a trio of triples in the first quarter in addition to playing some strong defense. He was personally responsible for a 6-0 Sixers run midway through the opening quarter. He drilled a 3-pointer from the wing, forced a Richards missed layup with an excellent contest at the rim and then connected on another triple from the wing. Oubre finished with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field.

– The Sixers have looked like a completely different team over the past couple of games. Sure, the poor competition (Detroit Pistons and Hornets) has helped. However, the youth movement and increased athleticism on the court has also played a part in the Sixers’ recent success. McCain, who was awarded the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November, has been a revelation so far this season. After being in a brief shooting slump, he bounced back with a strong performance against Charlotte.

a pair of @J_mccain_24 triples for your viewing pleasure: pic.twitter.com/wIWxhivJfS

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 4, 2024

Between his outside shooting, strength and ability to finish around the basket, McCain continues to showcase his well-rounded offensive skillset. He should be a crucial player for the Sixers this season whether he is in the starting lineup or coming off the bench as he has the past couple of games.

Adem Bona is beginning to find his footing against NBA competition. The Sixers’ rookie second-round pick is flashing his potential over the past two games. With Drummond out, Bona has gotten the chance to have a bigger role off the bench. He totaled four points, five rebounds and three blocks against the Pistons. While the 21-year old’s numbers against the Hornets look unimpressive, they fail to paint the whole picture. He plays with a high motor whenever he is on the floor. His defense around the rim is already improving from where it was at earlier this season.

Ricky Council IV, who has received inconsistent playing time this season, injected a ton of energy whenever he was out on the floor against Charlotte. He finished with two points, one rebound and two assists in 10 minutes off the bench. KJ Martin, after totaling 19 points and six rebounds in the win over the Pistons, received a spot in the starting lineup. He battled and did a bit of everything against Charlotte, totaling nine points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Head coach Nick Nurse has been forced to rely on players like Bona, Council IV and Martin due to injuries throughout the roster. However, the past few games have served as a lesson that injecting youth and athleticism onto the floor can come with a lot of benefits.

Dislikes:

– The Sixers held the lead for the vast majority of the game, but they allowed Charlotte to get back into the game in the fourth quarter. Their lack of tight defense on Miller, who lit them up with one 3-pointer after another, made this game much tighter than it needed to be. Additionally, the Sixers’ offense sputtered for much of the final frame. Outside of a few tough buckets from George and a lot of trips to the free-throw line, the Sixers were unable to get much going. On that front, Nurse’s mishandling of the rotation nearly cost the Sixers the game.

McCain had another strong performance against the Hornets. He was clearly the Sixers’ third best player in this contest. It is inexcusable to see him play just 22 minutes on a night where he was cooking offensively. The Sixers offense was struggling to get anything going in the fourth quarter. Where was McCain during the entirety of the final frame? Sitting on the bench. Nurse’s decision to not play McCain at all in the fourth quarter was deeply confounding.

– Tyrese Maxey’s poor shooting this season continued against Charlotte. He is normally one of the Sixers’ best outside shooters, but he has failed to find any consistency so far this season. At some point, Maxey’s shooting will likely jump back up to where it normally resides. Until then, it will be rough going for him offensively. He will have to shoot his way out of his struggles in addition to focusing on being an efficient playmaker and playing solid defense.

Despite his overall poor offensive performance, Maxey deserves some credit for knocking down a couple tough shots when the Sixers needed it most. He made a running layup off the glass that gave the Sixers a 104-102 lead with 30 seconds remaining. The 24-year old then hit a pair of free throws on the following possession to ice the game. Thirteen of his 21 points came in the fourth quarter. With the Hornets doing all they can to steal this game, Maxey came through to save it for the Sixers.