The Charlotte Hornets were supposed to run to a comfortable win on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, especially since they were coming off their biggest victory of the season versus the Indiana Pacers.
In addition, the East's cellar-dweller Sixers were missing Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, leaving Paul George and a bunch of role players to try to snap a five-game losing skid. As it turned out, those pieces were enough, with career games from reserves Jared McCain and Guerschon Yabusele helping them defeat Charlotte.
It even appeared like Philadelphia was going to coast its way to the win after entering the fourth quarter with a 10-point margin and going up by as many as 16 early in the period. However, the Hornets unleashed a five-man lineup that allowed them to force overtime.
The five-man group that almost saved the Hornets
With Charlotte down 82-66, LaMelo Ball again proved he is the king of the fourth quarter by reeling off five straight points before Andre Drummond stopped his personal run with a shot inside the paint. The Hornets star then assisted on Moussa Diabate's dunk before sinking a 28-footer, causing the Sixers to call a timeout.
Hornets coach Charles Lee then subbed Brandon Miller in for Seth Curry. The lineup of Ball, Miller, Diabate, Cody Martin, and Grant Williams made a run that Philadelphia found difficult to match up against.
With Ball and Miller taking charge on offense and Martin, Williams, and Diabate providing the needed energy on both ends of the floor, Charlotte was able to mount a comeback and even take an 89-88 lead with 2:30 left on the clock. However, the Sixers went on an 8-3 run to get back in the driver's seat.
A layup by Martin and a missed free throw by Kyle Lowry set up Ball's overtime-sending corner 3-pointer. The field goal also pushed the floor general's points in the final period to 16, pushing his average this season in the quarter to 11.6 points per game.
😱LAMELO BALL😱 pic.twitter.com/PU27hxfu5J
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 11, 2024
Unfortunately, the Hornets sputtered to the finish line, going scoreless in the first 3:44 of overtime before several miscues allowed the Sixers to escape with the 107-105 win.
On the bright side, the Sunday contest may have given Lee a five-man option that he can explore again in future matches while the team is struggling with injuries. Ball and Miller are no doubt going to be part of the Hornets' closing lineup. But Martin's ability to hound opponents on defense, Williams' veteran smarts, and Diabate's surprisingly strong play appear to make them suitable pieces around the stars.
Of course, it's a small sample size and came against a shorthanded Philadelphia side. Still, the five-man lineup looks potent enough to field again in crucial situations.