The Charlotte Hornets had a rare taste of success to begin the weekend.
Taking another sip won’t come easy.
The Hornets play the second game of a home back-to-back set when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
Charlotte snapped a six-game losing streak with a 124-120 victory against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
The 76ers have won four in a row after their 124-109 road victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday. Joel Embiid had 36 points, making all 11 of his free-throw attempts, and Tyrese Maxey racked up 32 points.
Embiid, who has a franchise-record 19 consecutive games with 30 or more points, leads the NBA with an average of 35.1 points per game. He is shooting 53.8 percent from the floor.
Charlotte’s point total Friday night was its largest since Nov. 30, a span of 22 games. Four Hornets scored 20 or more points.
Guard LaMelo Ball led the way with 28 points in his first home game in nearly two months. Ball was out for six weeks due to an ankle injury before getting back in action on Jan. 12.
The 76ers won 135-82 last month at Charlotte behind Embiid’s 42 points in three quarters. Philadelphia is 24-6 in games that Embiid has played this season.
The Hornets could be in an additional bind while dealing with Embiid, as center Nick Richards didn’t play Friday night because of an ankle injury.
None of the 76ers logged more than 35 minutes Friday night. Embiid sat out the fourth quarter, a nice bonus with games on consecutive nights.
Embiid said winning by large margins helps reduce the physical toll.
Philadelphia lost its previous two road games prior to Friday, but it improved to 11-7 away from home this season.
