76ers vs. Hornets: LeBron James and Joel Embiid Out for Halloween Game in Charlotte

The Philadelphia 76ers played without two of their biggest stars Saturday night in Charlotte. LeBron James (low back sciatica management) and Joel Embiid (right foot plantar fascia injury management) were both ruled out against the Hornets on the second night of a back-to-back, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported.

Tipoff at Spectrum Center was scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The game was still in progress, and the final result was not known, at publish time.

Is LeBron playing tonight?

No. James was listed as out for the Hornets game with low back sciatica management. He is coming off his best game as a Sixer: 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Friday’s 98-93 NBA Cup win over the New York Knicks, according to the team’s game preview. NBC Sports Philadelphia noted that both James and Embiid also sat out one leg of the Sixers’ first back-to-back of the season.

Embiid has averaged 35.2 minutes through five games, which is above his career high of 34.6 from his 2022-23 MVP season, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Who else is out for 76ers vs. Hornets?

Philadelphia: Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tendon tear) were also out. Jaylen Brown, Jabari Walker and Tacko Fall were listed as questionable on the afternoon report but were all upgraded to available. Brown missed Friday’s game with left patellar tendinopathy, his first missed game as a Sixer.

Charlotte: The Hornets were without Kon Knueppel (left hamstring strain), Coby White (left calf strain) and Grant Williams (right hamstring strain). Knueppel and White have yet to make their season debuts, though Knueppel recently completed a rehab assignment with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm, according to the Sixers’ preview.

Where to watch 76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets

According to Sporting News:

• Time: 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 31
• Arena: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
• TV: NBA TV (national), NBC Sports Philadelphia, TV64 (Charlotte)
• Streaming: Fubo (Philadelphia and national), DAZN (Charlotte area)

Hornets vs. 76ers: records and storylines

Philadelphia came in at 5-1 after adding James and Brown in the offseason to pair with Tyrese Maxey and Embiid. Maxey scored a game-high 27 in Friday’s win over the Knicks and, per the team, became the first player in franchise history to open consecutive seasons with at least six 25-point games.

Charlotte entered at 3-3 after a 95-79 loss at Washington on Friday, so both teams were on a back-to-back. The Hornets traded LaMelo Ball to Minnesota and Miles Bridges to Phoenix in the offseason, bringing in Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. Sporting News reported that Reid was benched for the second half of Wednesday’s loss in Detroit, and that Charlotte’s attack runs through Brandon Miller.

The Sixers were also playing on Halloween for the 25th time in franchise history.

What’s next?

Both teams are back in action Monday, Nov. 2: the Sixers host the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 p.m. ET, and the Hornets host the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. ET, per Sporting News.

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