Charlotte Hornets hold off 76ers to sweep back-to-back set of games

And now they get to go home – for a nice, long run of games at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Charlotte Hornets start a seven-game homestand Friday against the Indiana Pacers that could go a long way in deciding their playoff chances. But before that stretch begins, they played one more game in Philadelphia against a 76ers team that has given them trouble before.

The Sixers ate up all of a 14-point Hornets lead, but Charlotte got its act together to build a separate margin of 17 points. That was good for a 119-99 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

Point guard Kemba Walker led the scoring with 30 points as the Hornets improved to 32-28. This was their fifth victory in their past seven road games.

The Sixers fell to 8-53. Forward Robert Covington finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for Philadelphia.

Three who mattered

Marvin Williams: He got the Hornets started with four quick rebounds and a couple of corner 3s early.

Walker: This was his 30th game of 20 or more points this season.

Ish Smith: The former Central Cabarrus star has found an NBA home as the 76ers’ starting point guard.

Observations

▪  This was the first of three remaining games against the 76ers this season. They will play again in Philadelphia March 29, followed by an April 1 game in Charlotte.

▪  The Hornets are now 15-0 this season when outshooting an opponent at Time Warner Cable Arena. With the Hornets playing their next seven in a row at home, that could be significant.

▪  Key first-half stat Wednesday: The Hornets outscored the Sixers 26-8 in the lane.

▪  Hornets coach Steve Clifford said Tuesday he’s looking for ways to play shooting guard Troy Daniels, based on how well Daniels is playing in practice. There just isn’t any room in the rotation most nights.

▪  Al Jefferson said the Suns game was the best he’s felt and played this season. He’s very conscious of getting therapy on his surgically repaired right knee to avoid future pain and swelling.

Worth mentioning

▪  Former Duke star Jahlil Okafor sat out for the 76ers with a shin contusion.

▪  Strange stat of the first half: The two teams combined for just six second-chance points.

▪  The Sixers handed out posters Wednesday, commemorating the anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. They also posthumously honored Harvey Pollack, the team’s longtime statistical innovator.

Report card

B+ OFFENSE: They scored plenty in the lane, which is one of the things Clifford felt needed improvement.

B DEFENSE: They gave up plenty of 3s, but otherwise contained the Sixers.

B+ COACHING: This was an important back-to-back and the Hornets had lost in Philadelphia two of their past three games there.

This story was originally published March 2, 2016 at 9:37 PM with the headline "Charlotte Hornets hold off 76ers to sweep back-to-back set of games."