Sunday stats: How the Sixers improved to 2-0, from Joel Embiid’s unusual cadence to Andre Drummond’s heroics
**PHILADELPHIA** — Neither game played by the 2025-26 Philadelphia 76ers has gone according to plan. The good news: both times, the Sixers erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, completed a comeback victory, and celebrated wins they likely would not have earned a year ago.
On Saturday night, plenty of smiles followed a thrilling Sixers win over the Charlotte Hornets, 125-121, in the team’s home opener. In this week’s Sunday Stats, we examine how the Sixers pulled off another improbable victory en route to a 2-0 record.
—
### 4:58
**Joel Embiid’s playing time in the second half of Saturday’s game**
On Wednesday night in Boston, the Sixers won their season opener despite Embiid playing just 20 minutes. The former NBA MVP played at the start of each quarter but never found any rhythm and appeared too slow to impact the game effectively.
On Saturday, however, Embiid asserted control over the game and its pace. He looked far more capable of keeping up, and the Sixers would not have secured the victory without the quality of his 20 minutes.
While Embiid’s minutes restriction remained the same, the team significantly altered how they distributed his playing time throughout the 48-minute contest. He logged 15 minutes in the first half and only the first five minutes of the second half.
“He started out very well, so the Sixers extended his first burst by a few minutes,” said head coach Nick Nurse. “I think he was feeling good, so we didn’t want to have a long cooling-off period. I think you ride the hot hand a little bit. That’s why we used a few more in the first half.”
For what it’s worth, Embiid seems to prefer Saturday’s playing structure to Wednesday’s. Playing in five-minute increments with long breaks in between did not allow him to find a groove, he said after scoring 20 points on just 11 shot attempts over his 20 minutes.
Embiid also mentioned that in shorter stints, he feels more pressure to make something happen quickly because he knows he’s checking out soon. Mentally, he’s more at ease when he can play for a longer continuous period.
This is all uncharted territory for Embiid, so any feeling of normalcy on the court should be cherished right now. As much as Embiid doesn’t want to miss large chunks of the second half, he’d rather have one half feel normal than none at all.
The Sixers are doing everything possible to keep Embiid on the right path so he can enjoy a long and healthy season with a legitimate chance to perform deep in the playoffs.
And of course, as Embiid stressed multiple times, he’s eager to play more than just 20 minutes. He’s not the only one anxious for the minutes limitation to ease.
“I look forward to having that minute restriction go up,” Nurse said. “A little. If we can. If we can.”
—
### 3
**The number of positions played by Quentin Grimes across his 30 minutes on Saturday**
Quentin Grimes, the 25-year-old guard playing on a qualifying offer after a contentious restricted free agency, has delivered incredibly strong performances early in the season.
Grimes is filling multiple roles, and despite VJ Edgecombe starting ahead of him, he’s playing what Nurse called “starter minutes.” Grimes deserves it — he’s too good a player to be relegated to reserve minutes.
In just two games this season, Grimes has spent significant time as point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. Every time he checks back into the game, his role on offense or defense shifts considerably from his prior stint.
For a player with so much on the line individually and financially this season, Grimes’ play shows a clear focus on the team’s greater good.
Perhaps the basketball gods smiled upon Grimes on Saturday — he took and made the deciding shot, a go-ahead three-pointer after Tyrese Maxey drew a help defender.
Beyond the game-winning shot, Grimes was arguably the Sixers’ best all-around player against Charlotte. Maxey, Edgecombe, and Grimes have done tremendous work to make three-guard lineups an immediate positive, creating optimism for the eventual integration of Jared McCain.
Grimes is the key component of that arrangement because it hinges on his ability to guard up and defend wing players effectively.
“How much faith does he have in those three-guard units?” asked reporters.
“Super confident,” Grimes said after Friday’s practice. “Three guys that can make plays for each other or a teammate, can score at all three levels—I feel like that’s a premium. We can all handle the ball, come out of pick-and-rolls, shoot, just make plays. It’s definitely a premium in this league for sure.”
—
### +12
**The Sixers’ point differential with Andre Drummond on the court during the final 16 minutes on Saturday**
When Drummond took an ill-advised corner three that clanked off the rim late in the third quarter, it didn’t seem like the veteran center was about to swing the game in Philadelphia’s favor.
But Drummond, who first checked in at the 3:50 mark of the third quarter, did exactly that.
He sat for just 1.9 seconds of the nearly 16 minutes remaining and was instrumental in the Sixers’ victory. Drummond scored seven points, grabbed 13 rebounds (six on the offensive glass), dished out three assists, and snagged two steals.
He looked familiar — and that’s exactly how he felt.
“I felt normal,” Drummond said. “I felt like myself.”
Drummond’s first full season with the Sixers was disastrous; his 2024-25 campaign was derailed by a toe injury, and he appeared like a shell of himself before then. Thanks to an important offseason that included a stricter diet and more running, Drummond said he entered this season in the best shape possible.
Logging all those minutes at once was no problem.
“I was able to move the way I wanted to move,” he said. “Reaction time was there, just the spring in my jumps, and how fast I was moving. It felt good to feel like myself again.”
—
### Instant Observations
– Sixers beat Celtics on opening night
– Sixers host Hornets in home opener
Follow @SixersAdam for more updates.
https://www.phillyvoice.com/sixers-vs-hornets-highlights-box-score-stats-news-analysis-joel-embiid-quentin-grimes-andre-drummond-nick-nurse/?utm_source=pv-rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pv-site
You may also like
Leave a Reply