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Best and worst from Sixers-Hornets: Joel Embiid’s dominance, LaMelo Ball’s struggles and more

This marked Embiid's 15th game of at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists which are tied for the third-most in the NBA this season.

Sixers center Joel Embiid (21) grabs the rebound over Charlotte Hornets center Mason Plumlee (24) in the third quarter of a game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Sixers center Joel Embiid (21) grabs the rebound over Charlotte Hornets center Mason Plumlee (24) in the third quarter of a game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Saturday.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

Here is my look at some of the best and worst performances from the 76ers’ 144-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.

Best performance: This was an easy one with Joel Embiid going beast-mode on the overmatched Hornets. The Sixers star had game highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds to go with six assists in 31 minutes, 21 seconds. With his team up 103-89, Embiid sat out the fourth quarter. He shot an efficient 12-for-16 from the field. Embiid did commit four turnovers. But it’s hard to hold that against him on this day. This marked his 15th game of at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. That’s tied for the third-most of those games in the NBA this season.

Worst performance: I had to give this to LaMelo Ball. The Hornets All-Star point guard’s 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting was a bit misleading. He made a couple of baskets after the Sixers rested most of their starters in the fourth quarter. Ball struggled through 3-for-10 and was held to eight points through three quarters. He also finished the game with six turnovers and was a minus-31 in 27 minutes, 49 seconds of action.

Best defensive performance: The Hornets had a tough time making stops as a team. But Terry Rozier did a solid job of taking the ball away from the Sixers. The Charlotte guard finished with five steals.

Best statistic: The Sixers were raining threes. They tied a franchise record with 21 made three-pointers. This marked the fourth time they hit that many threes.

Worst statistic: The Sixers still need to take better care of the ball. They committed 19 turnovers. James Harden had five. Embiid and Tobias Harris had four each.

Best of the best: The Sixers were a scoring machine after intermission. Their 86 points in the second half are the most the team has scored in 51 years since March 19, 1971 when they scored 90 in the second half against the Cincinnati Royals.