Sixers Shoot Charlotte’s Lights Out to Win Thrilling Home Opener
The 76ers came into this game scorching hot off a Maxey 40 burger and statistically the greatest rookie debut Philadelphia has ever seen in V.J. Edgecombe’s opening day performance.
With Embiid, Maxey, and Edgecombe in the lineup again for the Sixers home opener, the question coming into this game was if this version of the team is for real combined with just how good is V.J. Edgecombe?
After giving up an easy Hornets basket on an apparent defensive miscommunication, Embiid nailed a three following an offensive rebound while Kelly Oubre followed it up with his own basket from beyond the arc to give the 76ers a 6-4 lead a minute into the game.
& the first sixers bucket goes to @JoelEmbiid 👌 pic.twitter.com/OTn2zHJQu6
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 25, 2025
Thanks to Embiid nailing another three in addition to Maxey and Edgecombe confidently following suit, the 76ers were 6/7 from beyond the three point line with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter, and were up by double-digit points.
Overall, the team was attacking the basket well and shooting with encouraging confidence.
Philly also fought tenaciously for the ball on both ends of the floor all night in terms of boxing out for rebounds and gritty steals.
After the lead was narrowed down to just six, Kelly Oubre sacrificed his body for the city as he took a hard charge which led to a Grimes layup.
The lead was back up to 10 as the score sat at 36-26 in Philadelphia’s favor with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter.
https://t.co/1SqzEluXQX pic.twitter.com/d8BqAbMAk3
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2025
Although, Charlotte would answer with a three of their own before the quarter would finish, resulting in a 36-29 scoreboard at the end of the first period.
Embiid scored 16 points in his first 10 minutes on the floor but after a Grimes turnover and a Lamelo Ball three-pointer the score rested at just 50-47 in the Sixers favor.
Thanks to a Quentin Grimes three with less than a minute left in the half, the Sixers were able to keep their three-point edge and end the first half up 61-58.
Midway through the third quarter, the 76ers lost the lead due to some turnovers and inefficient shooting, but a circus and-one from Embiid plus some V.J. free throws the Sixers tied the game at 73 with 6:52 on the clock.
TOUGH. pic.twitter.com/kVps1gTIP9
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2025
The Hornets continued attacking throughout the quarter in the midst of the 76ers playing poorly without Embiid and Maxey on the floor, resulting in a 96-86 Charlotte lead to end the third.
The traveling Hornets outscored the Sixers by double-digits in the quarter on their home floor.
After Oubre hustling and willing the 76ers back in the game along with Justin Edwards, Edwards’ third three of the night cut the lead to just 99-96 with 10 minutes left in the contest.
However, Philly kept turning the ball over and bricking shots, and before you knew it the Hornets lead was back up to double digits as the score was 112-102 with just five minutes on the clock in the final quarter.
Andre Drummond had several clutch moments throughout the night, and he slashed the lead to just five points after some quick post moves and a nimble skyhook.
He also leapt out of the gym to get the Sixers rebounds on the ensuing two defensive possessions with less than four minutes to play.
With 2:34 on the clock, V.J. Edgecombe drove strong to the hoop and dropped a layup over the top of an outstretched Hornets’ defender to reduce the Hornets lead to just one point.
clean up aisle 1. 😤 pic.twitter.com/Cd6nqsoajL
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2025
And then, who but Andre Drummond to follow a missed Maxey layup to slam it home and give the Sixers a 117-116 lead, sending the South Philly crowd roaring.
With the game ticking away, Maxey hit a Kobe-esque fadeaway to tie the score at 119 all with under a minute left.
Lamelo must’ve seen that and thought that he actually was Kobe, because he jacked up a three from basically the Hornets bench, leading to Quentin Grimes destroying one of the quickest catch-and-shoot threes you’ll ever see, giving the 76ers a 122-119 lead with just 13.9 on the clock.
it’s LOUD in South Philly y’all pic.twitter.com/l91gmySjSK
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 26, 2025
The team held onto the ball, hit their free throws, and avoided stupid mistakes and finished the game with a 125-121 win after being down by 10 with 5:02 to play.
While Maxey, Embiid, and V.J. all did their part, the difference makers in the game were undoubtedly Grimes and Drummond.
Grimes finished the game hitting half of his field goals, going 7/14 from the field, 5/8 from the three-point line, and added three boards and four assists.
Efficient three point attempts were critical for the Sixers victory, as they had six different players attempt threes with each shooting at least 33%.
This led to the 76ers hitting 46% of their threes in the game in contrast to Charlotte’s 38%, a major difference-maker in a game where the Hornets bested the Sixers in a variety of other key statistics including rebounds, assists, points in the paint, and points off second-chance opportunities.
Given the young superstar core of Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe and the almost starter-worthy bench players the team has, we should expect to continue seeing this type of lightening-fast and high-scoring attack which will not only make this season unimaginably more competitive than the last, but unimaginably more fun to watch as well.
