Kemba Walker’s double-double leads Charlotte Hornets to win over 76ers

Kemba to the rescue once again.

Kemba Walker (27 points and 11 rebounds) grabbed an offensive rebound midway through the fourth quarter, redirected the offense and then hit a 3-pointer to help secure the Charlotte Hornets’ 100-91 home victory Friday over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers had trimmed a double-digit deficit to four shortly before Walker’s make.

The Hornets improved to 44-31 as they chase possible homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. One more Hornets victory or a loss by the Chicago Bulls clinches a playoff berth.

The Hornets swept the four-game series with the 76ers, who fell to 9-67.

Three who mattered

Walker: He took nine trips to the foul line in the first three quarters and reached double-figure rebounds.

Al Jefferson: He delivered a near-double double off the bench.

Nic Batum: He shot well on a night the Hornets struggled in that regard.

Observations

▪  Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin, who missed Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia with a sore lower back, was well enough to play Friday.

▪  The Sixers got back forward Jerami Grant from injury.

▪  Batum assembled a second triple-double this season Tuesday in Philadelphia. This was the first time a Charlotte NBA player had multiple triple-double games in the same season since Baron Davis did it in the 2000-01 season.

▪  Barring a complete collapse offensively, the Hornets will finish a season averaging 100 or more points for the first time since the NBA returned to Charlotte in 2004. Entering Friday night’s game, the Hornets were averaging 103.1 points per game.

▪  Former Wake Forest point guard Ish Smith, now with the Sixers, visited with former Deacons coach Dino Gaudio before the game.

Worth mentioning

▪  Lin made a back-to-the-basket layup primarily intended to get him to the foul line.

▪  Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was at the arena for a Make A Wish project.

▪  Hornets owner Michael Jordan sat courtside Friday next to former Chicago Bulls teammate Charles Oakley.

They said it

“Those guys (the 76ers), they never quit. They have a great coach who gets them to play hard each and every night.” – Walker.

“Those games like that, (where) we can’t make any 3s, we just find a way to get inside.” – Batum.

“They (the Hornets) are a good defensive team, too, but for the most part I think we missed shots that we usually make.” – Sixers guard Ish Smith.

Report card

C+ OFFENSE: The 3-point shooting left much to be desired.

B+ DEFENSE: They limited the Sixers’ open looks and got Philadelphia big men in foul trouble.

B COACHING: These are the games you survive; style points don’t mean much this late in the season.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Kemba Walker’s double-double leads Charlotte Hornets to win over 76ers."