Tyrese Maxey delivered a masterclass performance with 38 points to carry the Philadelphia 76ers to a hard-fought 109-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night. Playing the second game of a back-to-back without the services of Joel Embiid and LeBron James, Philadelphia relied heavily on their star guard to navigate a turbulent contest that went down to the wire.
The win improved Philadelphia's impressive start to the 2026-2027 NBA season to six victories from their opening seven fixtures. Despite missing two of their most influential players, head coach Nick Nurse's side engineered a crucial late comeback, sparked by Maxey's relentless offensive output and key contributions from the bench.
Maxey set the tone early in the encounter, scoring 15 points in the opening frame alone to prevent Charlotte from pulling away during an early flurry of three-pointers. His blistering start marked his seventh consecutive game with at least 25 points to begin the campaign, establishing himself firmly as the focal point of the visiting offense.
With defensive attention heavily focused on slowing him down, Maxey found vital support from Anfernee Simons off the bench. Simons continued his sparkling run of form by draining five three-pointers, making him the first player in franchise history to achieve the feat in three consecutive games.
The game remained tightly contested into the final minute when a dramatic 13-0 run turned the tide in favor of the visitors. Following a transition layup and a clutch three-pointer from Simons, rookie VJ Edgecombe buried a dagger triple with the shot clock expiring to secure a two-possession lead and seal the result.
Nurse praised his squad's resilience in overcoming personnel shortages during a demanding stretch of the schedule. The team utilized Dean Wade and Adem Bona in the starting lineup to cover for the absent stars, while Jabari Walker provided valuable minutes off the bench following his return from a knee injury.
Wade played an unexpectedly influential role as a distributor, recording a career-high 10 assists while anchoring a small-ball lineup in the closing stages. His defensive contributions, including a crucial block near the rim, complemented the offensive heroics of Maxey and Simons down the stretch.
The victory highlights Philadelphia's growing depth and adaptability during the early stages of the regular season. Despite facing adversity on the road without key starters, the rotation managed to find winning combinations against a determined Charlotte outfit that threatened an upset behind their wing-heavy approach.
Philadelphia will now return home to prepare for their next fixture. The team is scheduled to host the Chicago Bulls on Monday night as they look to maintain their strong momentum at the top of the conference standings.
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