Maxey's 38 Powers 76ers Comeback Win Over Hornets

The Philadelphia 76ers came back to beat the Charlotte Hornets 109-104 on Saturday night at Spectrum Center, and the story was Tyrese Maxey. Maxey poured in 38 points, and rookie VJ Edgecombe delivered the go-ahead basket late as Philadelphia erased a deficit in the closing minutes. Jaylen Brown returned to the 76ers' lineup and was involved in a fourth-quarter dust-up with Grayson Allen, but the night belonged to Maxey's shot-making and Edgecombe's poise.

Our pick: Hornets +1.5 — LOSS. We sold Charlotte catching less than a basket at home, betting that Philadelphia's second night of a back-to-back would trim a veteran rotation and that the Hornets' home energy would carry. It didn't. The 76ers covered the 1.5-point spread and won outright, so the moneyline call on Charlotte (+102) also missed. The total (216.5) closed under, meaning our Over lean did not cash either.

The read on the spot was reasonable: a 5-1 team laying a short number on zero rest days is a classic fade. But Philadelphia had Maxey cooking and got enough from its supporting cast down the stretch, and Charlotte's offense never found the gear it needed late. The lesson for future picks: a back-to-back is a real variable, but it is not a standalone trigger. When the opposing star is in form and the home team is still searching offensively, the rest edge can be overwhelmed. We'll weigh lineup health and late-game shot creation more heavily before fading a hot team on the road again.