76ers, Joel Embiid hold off Hornets, Kemba Walker’s 37 points
Joel Embiid had 27 points and 14 rebounds while J.J. Redick and Robert Covington each hit key 3-pointers late to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 105-103 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday night.
Embiid was a game-time decision after injuring his left ankle in practice on Friday. But the Philadelphia big man didn’t favor his ankle at all while recording his sixth double-double in as many games to start the season.
Covington had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Ben Simmons contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, which evened its record at 3-3.
Kemba Walker scored 37 points for Charlotte. Walker needed 31 shots for his points, finishing 11-for-31 from the field and 3-for-15 from the arc. He entered second behind Steph Curry in 3-point attempts (64) and 3-pointers made (29).
The game was tied at 99 after Walker’s 3-pointer with 3:04 left. Redick put the 76ers ahead 102-99 with 2:03 left by nailing a 3 from the left wing. Walker answered with a layup to pull Charlotte within one, but Covington drained a 3-pointer from the right wing five seconds later to make it 105-101.
The Hornets missed all four of their field-goal attempts from that point on, with Walker’s two free throws with 2.6 seconds left accounting for their final points.
Neither team led by more than six points in a tightly contested second half. The 76ers erased an 85-83 deficit to start the fourth by scoring six straight to open the period and take an 89-85 lead with 10:50 left. Second-year guard Markelle Fultz electrified the crowd with a one-handed fastbreak dunk during the spurt.
Fultz also drew cheers with a first-half spinning layup and a third-quarter baseline jumper. The second-year guard re-worked his jump shot over the summer after shooting struggles during an injury-plagued season last year.
TIP-INS
Hornets: G Tony Parker (rest) didn’t play. . Rookie Miles Bridges had 14 points.
76ers: Wilson Chandler (hamstring) missed his sixth straight game to start the season. . Embiid has a double-double in every game this season.
UP NEXT
Hornets: Host Miami on Tuesday.
76ers: Host Atlanta on Monday.
76ERS 105, HORNETS 103
Charlotte | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Batum | 31:08 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
Williams | 23:22 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Zeller | 25:40 | 5-8 | 2-2 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
Lamb | 28:33 | 5-12 | 1-1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
Walker | 34:55 | 11-31 | 12-14 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 37 |
Bridges | 30:20 | 5-9 | 1-2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
Kidd-Gilchrist | 22:31 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Biyombo | 18:33 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Graham | 13:05 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
Monk | 11:53 | 1-8 | 2-2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Totals | 240:00 | 37-95 | 20-24 | 48 | 19 | 25 | 103 |
Percentages: FG .389, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 9-35, .257 (Bridges 3-6, Walker 3-15, Lamb 1-2, Graham 1-3, Williams 1-4, Batum 0-2, Monk 0-3). Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 9 (10 PTS). Blocked Shots: 8 (Batum 2, Walker 2, Williams 2, Biyombo, Kidd-Gilchrist). Turnovers: 9 (Kidd-Gilchrist 2, Walker 2, Batum, Bridges, Graham, Monk, Zeller). Steals: 3 (Bridges, Walker, Zeller). Technical Fouls: Kidd-Gilchrist, 9:42 fourth.
Philadelphia | Min | FG-A | FT-A | R | A | F | Pt |
Covington | 36:03 | 6-11 | 2-5 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 18 |
Saric | 30:33 | 4-9 | 2-2 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 11 |
Embiid | 36:46 | 10-22 | 6-6 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 27 |
Fultz | 25:08 | 4-9 | 2-2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 10 |
Simmons | 32:11 | 5-20 | 4-6 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
Redick | 32:18 | 4-12 | 4-4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
Muscala | 17:12 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
McConnell | 14:22 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Shamet | 9:14 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Johnson | 6:13 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Totals | 240:00 | 35-91 | 25-30 | 56 | 18 | 23 | 105 |
Percentages: FG .385, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 10-28, .357 (Covington 4-7, Redick 3-8, Shamet 1-2, Saric 1-3, Embiid 1-5, Muscala 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 11 (13 PTS). Blocked Shots: 8 (Covington 4, Embiid 2, McConnell, Muscala). Turnovers: 11 (Simmons 4, Embiid 3, Covington, Fultz, Muscala, Saric). Steals: 4 (Covington 2, Fultz, Simmons).
Charlotte | 28 | 34 | 23 | 18 | — | 103 |
Philadelphia | 32 | 31 | 20 | 22 | — | 105 |
Att.—20,203 (20,478). T—2:22.
Officials—Jonathan Sterling, Marc Davis, Derrick Collins
This story was originally published October 27, 2018 at 10:30 PM with the headline "76ers, Joel Embiid hold off Hornets, Kemba Walker’s 37 points."