When Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey signed Paul George less than two years ago in unrestricted free agency, he did so imagining the on-court product Philly put on display Saturday night.
That it took until Saturday night’s all-important 118-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets to validate that blueprint is probably a conversation for another time. However, when this Sixers core was built, it was assembled with the vision of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey forming a potent and dynamic triumvirate.
Provided Philadelphia’s most important victory of the season on Saturday night, a conquest over a young, talented and hungry Charlotte team that’s been tearing up the Eastern Conference since 2026. And when the 76ers arguably had to have it the most, their much-maligned big three finally showed its tantalizing potential.
Embiid scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds. George played arguably his best game in a Philadelphia uniform, adding 26 points and 13 rebounds. Maxey tossed in 26 points with eight assists and seven rebounds.
Still, point totals can be misleading because talented players will score. And, nonetheless, Philly’s big three is talented. What distinguished this game is the imprint each member put on it. It’s about the moments each player had and the way they each came up with signature plays Philadelphia fans will remember long past Saturday night.
George hit the go-ahead 3-pointer off a fabulous drift to the near corner, giving the Sixers the lead for good. And then, he was there to contest Charlotte point guard LaMelo Ball for the game’s final defensive stop. Maxey was taking a long rebound and dunking in Miles Bridges’ face with his off-hand. Maxey being blown off by Bridges after trying to shake his hand, which was followed by a halfcourt celebration with his teammates. And Embiid, who had been mediocre defensively on Saturday, hustled and blocked Brandon Miller’s attempt to tie the game from 3-point range.
For one night, the Sixers resembled the team Morey thought he’d received when he assembled it. He envisioned having one of the league’s best point guards alongside one of the best small forwards and a center who won MVP just a few years ago. Injuries, last season’s chaos and more ailments this season have prevented that. There were flashes before tonight, though — namely January’s road win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, where Embiid, George and Maxey played well. Yet, Saturday night was arguably the first time the trio was dominant for a high-stakes game.
“I thought we just stuck with it tonight,” Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought we did a good job of just being there, and we did a great job of playing. They didn’t get any offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, and that was a problem in the first three quarters. Andre Drummond came off the bench and gave us a big lift. I thought Paul stuck his nose in there and grabbed some big rebounds, and that helped us. We were just resilient tonight.”
The games get even more important, beginning with Monday night’s road matchup against the Miami Heat. The Sixers claim the head-to-head tiebreaker after beating the Hornets. In the battle for positioning that starts with the Toronto Raptors at the No. 5 seed and ends with the No. 10 Heat, the Sixers now hold the tie-break over the Hornets, Raptors and Orlando Magic. They have lost the tiebreaker with the Atlanta Hawks, but a win on Monday would give them the tie-break over Miami.
Regarding positioning, those advantages could prove gargantuan down the stretch. That being said, the 76ers looked like a healthy and connected team on Saturday night. They looked like a dangerous team, but they’re still trying to qualify for the playoffs.
With that said, the Sixers were also imperfect.
For three quarters, they were bludgeoned in the rebounding game, at one point trailing Charlotte 41-23 on the boards. Those third-quarter woes appeared again, when they trailed by 15 points in the minutes following halftime. However, they were able to rally and get back into the game heading into the fourth quarter. There were times when they had the wrong people taking the wrong shots. And for much of the first three quarters, defense looked optional.
What should raise optimism is what they looked like in the fourth quarter and how that could affect the 76ers if they make the playoffs. When the game slowed down in the final five minutes, Charlotte looked like a team searching for what it needed to run in the most important possessions. The 76ers knew exactly what they wanted to run. While the Hornets looked like a team experimenting, the 76ers looked like a team that knew exactly where to go.
There was Embiid at the high elbow in the middle of the floor. There was Embiid and Maxey running pick-and-pop and reacting off Charlotte’s defense. There was George constantly probing off the dribble, and then kicking to Maxey for an offensive set, if no instant offense was there.
Top-end talent is what secures postseason wins, and the 76ers have arguably the most top-end talent in the Eastern Conference. It doesn’t make them a favorite, but if they are healthy, it does make them a tough and dangerous team. And it’s a reason why the Sixers can’t be buried. This season has gone better than last season’s unmitigated disaster. Yet, this year has still been marked by inconsistency and health issues. It’s still marked by precious little time with the best players on the floor.
For instance, Philadelphia’s starting five on Saturday (Embiid, Maxey, George, VJ Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow) played 295 possessions together this season. Almost two years after signing George, the argument can be made that we still don’t know who the Sixers are when they’re healthy.
But Saturday night showed who they can be, particularly in an important spot.
The question is whether this flash is fleeting or a signal when Philly finally found footing in Morey’s vision.