November 1, 2026 at 5:06 AM UTC

Postgame Report

Maxey's 38 Carry Short-Handed Sixers Past Hornets on Second Night of a Back-to-Back

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With James and Embiid resting, Philadelphia leaned on Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown to beat Charlotte 109-104 on a Halloween Saturday in the Hornets' building.

Both teams were on their second game in two nights Saturday, each coming off Friday's NBA Cup action, and it showed in the stretches where neither could string together stops. Philadelphia got through them better, beating Charlotte 109-104 behind Tyrese Maxey, who scored 38 points in 38 minutes and was the one steady hand in a game that kept getting loose.

The Sixers' lineup looked different from the one that has been advertised. Jaylen Brown, who missed Friday, was back and played 38 minutes, scoring 16 with four rebounds and four assists. LeBron James and Joel Embiid were the other half of that star group, and neither played. James is dealing with low back sciatica and Embiid with right foot plantar fasciitis. It was the first time the two sat out together, and given the schedule, back-to-backs look like a spot where Philadelphia will keep being careful.

The Hornets are still working out who they are after trading LaMelo Ball, and the start has been uneven. Naz Reid was benched in the second half at Detroit for not meeting standards. He started here and played 36 minutes, finishing with 14 points and five rebounds, a quiet answer. Dennis Schroder ran the team for 35 minutes with seven assists but scored only four, and that left Charlotte short of a second reliable option beyond its wings.

Brandon Miller did what he could, with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Grayson Allen added 27 off the bench. Even so, the Hornets could not get the last few possessions, and Miller can only do so much against a team with this much depth. Anfernee Simons had 19 points for the Sixers in 25 minutes, Dean Wade handed out 10 assists, and Jabari Walker, listed questionable with a knee issue, played 19 minutes and gave Philadelphia 12 points and six rebounds. Tacko Fall, also questionable with a quad injury, did not play.

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