PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers needed a boost on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. They needed somebody other than Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. to step up in the scoring department.
After a quiet first half, Buddy Hield came to the rescue.
Hield was scoreless at halftime, but he came alive after halftime scoring 14 points in the second half to help the Sixers defeat the Hornets, 109-98.
“He was good,” said Maxey. “He was Buddy Hield. He shot. He was aggressive. He drove the ball, kicked the ball. He played great defense as well. So we need him to do that and continue to do that as well.”
Hield and Paul Reed both played a part in the victory on Saturday. While Hield contributed scoring, Reed had nine points and six rebounds after halftime. Seven points and four boards came in the fourth quarter.
“I thought both Paul and Buddy were really good in the second half, right?” added coach Nick Nurse. “That’s a great bounce back because they didn’t quite get into the rhythm of the game in the first half. So that’s good to go out there and get yourself involved. Buddy really kept us going there for a stretch and that was good to see. He got to some good spots. He got some good looks. Made a couple 3s.”
Afterward, Hield admitted he mentally wasn’t there to start the night. The Sixers had just returned from a tough road trip and facing a bad Hornets team can take a bit to get the competitive juices going.
“I feel like mentally I wasn’t there,” Hield stated. “I was just roaming around, and I wasn’t productive. That’s why I didn’t play that much in the first half, I wasn’t productive, but you know, — second half, you go and regroup yourself, get your thoughts together, get your mind right. Go out and shoot a little bit. I was able to see one go down. Attack the basket a couple of times and get a couple of jump shots.”
Hield and the Sixers will play host to the Miami Heat in an important matchup on Monday.
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