76ers Rally Past Hornets 109-104: Tyrese Maxey Scores 38, VJ Edgecombe Hits Clutch Three

The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have LeBron James or Joel Embiid in Charlotte on Saturday night, and they trailed by seven with under four minutes left. They still won. Philadelphia scored the next 13 points, with a step-back three from VJ Edgecombe as the dagger, and beat the Hornets 109-104 at Spectrum Center.

Tyrese Maxey scored 38 points. The Sixers improved to 6-1 (3-0 on the road), and Charlotte fell to 3-4.

76ers vs. Hornets: how the comeback happened

Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back, and both came in after Friday games. Charlotte started hot: according to Liberty Ballers, the Hornets made 6 of 11 threes in the first quarter and led 37-27. Maxey had 15 of Philadelphia’s 27.

The Sixers won the second quarter 30-17 and led 57-54 at halftime. Charlotte took control again in the third, helped by six points from Naz Reid in a 14-4 run, and carried an 83-77 lead into the fourth.

Grayson Allen’s three with 3:41 left put the Hornets up 101-94. From there, per Yahoo Sports and Liberty Ballers:

• Anfernee Simons and Maxey scored the next eight points, and two Maxey free throws gave Philadelphia a 102-101 lead.
• After a Brandon Miller miss, Edgecombe hit a step-back three over Allen with the shot clock running down for a four-point lead. That made it a 13-0 run.
• Maxey drew a foul and made two free throws for a 107-101 lead with 23.8 seconds left.
• Miller hit a three with 6.5 seconds left to make it 107-104. Out of a timeout, Dean Wade found Jaylen Brown cutting to the rim, and Brown made both free throws with 5.2 seconds left to seal it.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Brown and Allen fought for a loose ball, shoved each other and were separated by teammates. Both got technical fouls.

VJ Edgecombe: a rough night with a big finish

Edgecombe was 4 of 13 from the field for 10 points, with eight rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block, according to NBC Sports. He was 3 of 10 through three quarters, Liberty Ballers noted. The site’s headline summed up his night: “All VJ Edgecombe does is hit huge shots.”

76ers vs. Charlotte Hornets: player stats

Philadelphia - Tyrese Maxey: 38 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals - Anfernee Simons: 19 points off the bench, 5 of 9 from three - Jaylen Brown: 16 points (6 of 15), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals - VJ Edgecombe: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists - Dean Wade: 10 assists in a start

Charlotte - Grayson Allen: 27 points, 7 of 10 from three - Brandon Miller: 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists - Naz Reid: 14 points, 5 rebounds

Jaylen Brown returns

Brown had missed Friday’s NBA Cup win over the Knicks with left patellar tendinopathy. He was upgraded to available on the 5:15 p.m. injury report after taking part in shootaround, Yahoo Sports reported. He missed his first five shots and had two early turnovers, per Liberty Ballers, but got better as the game went on.

As our earlier coverage noted, James (low back sciatica management) and Embiid (right foot plantar fascia management) both sat out the back end of the back-to-back. Dominick Barlow (back) also remained out.

What’s next

Both teams are off until Monday, Nov. 2. Philadelphia hosts the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte hosts the Detroit Pistons. NBC Sports noted the Sixers play four games next week with no back-to-backs.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: 76ers vs. Hornets: LeBron James and Joel Embiid Out for Halloween Game in Charlotte (Oct 31)