Sixers blow out Hornets to get back on track

The Sixers snapped their three game losing streak Saturday as they throttled the Charlotte Hornets 144-114. The Sixers offense broke out after really struggling over the last week, shooting an 61% from the field and 49% from three as a team. The team had 38 assists and made 21 threes, which were both season highs. Tobias Harris looked more alive than ever, having 23 points, four boards, and four assists on 8-13 shooting. Joel Embiid had 29-14-6 on 77.8 percent true shooting. James Harden put on a passing clinic, dishing out 13 assists. Here are some takeaways from the win.

First Half

• Another great start for Tobias Harris, who started the game going 3-3 from beyond the arc. Despite the team’s struggles in the past week or so, Harris’s quick trigger has been a bright spot. He shot 38% from 3 on 4.4 attempts per game in the month of March. Tobias would end up firing nine (!!) threes today.
• Philly definitely made a point to move the ball more to start this game after that abysmal 4th quarter in Detroit. It didn’t take nearly as long for the bench to get on the board this game. The ball movement was crisp in the first quarter, and it helped that the Sixers shot 52% from the field in the quarter.

• The Sixers remained efficient from the field, but limited themselves by giving the ball away. Forcing (or occasionally not forcing) 12 first half turnovers and having an 13-4 edge in fast break points, the Hornets stayed right in the game despite shooting significantly worse from the field.
• Embiid and Harris were great in the second quarter, as the ball continued to fly around the offense. Harris played probably his best half of the season, launching seven threes and putting up 16 points. Embiid got plenty of easy baskets as Charlotte struggled to defend the pick and roll with James Harden, and had 19 in the half. Harden was quiet from a scoring standpoint, but dished out seven assists.

Second Half

• Everything went the Sixers way in the third quarter. Embiid continued to quietly get his, Tyrese Maxey flew everywhere around the court as the ball continued to move really well. Harden notched six more assists in the frame. Philly outscored the Hornets 45-27 in the third, as they shot 63% from the field in the first three quarters and took a 23 point lead into the fourth.
• Matisse Thybulle sparked the crowd, hitting two corner threes creating chaos on the defensive end, all three of his steals came in the third quarter. This was certainly one of his best offensive games of the season.

• The Sixers just kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter. Their three point shooting was just insane the whole day, with Maxey being the Sixer to get hot from three in the fourth. Even DeAndre Jordan got in on the action, catching some nifty lobs from Harris. It was refreshing for the Sixers to get a wire-to-wire win, being able to rest their starters in the fourth quarter.