(Reuters) — Joel Embiid had 29 points and made a big block in the final seconds as the Philadelphia Sixers rallied from 15 points down to edge the host Charlotte Hornets 118-114 on Saturday night.
Philadelphia (41-33) stopped Charlotte’s five-game winning streak and won the season series 2-1, giving them the tiebreaker in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Charlotte fell to 39-35.
Paul George, in his second game back from a 25-game suspension for violating the terms of the league’s anti-drug program, finished with 26 points. Tyrese Maxey also had 26 in his return to the Sixers lineup after missing 10 games with a finger injury.
Brandon Miller scored 29 for Charlotte.
The Hornets didn’t trail in building an 88-73 lead midway through the third quarter, but then they went over 12 minutes with only one field goal.
Philadelphia rallied. Maxey tied the game at 97-all with a ferocious left-hand slam over Miles Bridges at the 10:03 mark of the fourth quarter, then gave the Sixers the lead with a drive to the basket.
The lead changed hands nine times in the fourth quarter. LaMelo Ball gave Charlotte a 114-112 lead with 1:24 left. Embiid sank a free throw and missed the second, but the ball went out of bounds off the Hornets. On the ensuing inbounds pass, George made a three from the corner to put Philly ahead 116-114 with 1:04 left.
Charlotte turned the ball over on its next possession, and Maxey made one free throw with 31 seconds left. Ball saw a three rattle in and out, but Charlotte kept the ball. Embiid then ranged over and blocked a potential game-tying three by Miller in front of the Sixers bench with 7.4 seconds to go. Ball had one last chance, faking out George and getting a little room for a clean look at a corner three, but it was short. George made one free throw for the final margin.
Miller had 16 first-quarter points as Charlotte led 36-25, and the Hornets were up 69-64 at halftime.
With Milwaukee’s loss earlier on Saturday, Charlotte clinched at least a spot in the play-in tournament for the first time since 2022.
