Brandon Miller scores 30 as Hornets rout 76ers 130-93 in weather-shifted start

The Charlotte Hornets blew past the Philadelphia 76ers 130-93 on Monday afternoon in Charlotte, with Brandon Miller scoring 30 points as the home team turned a competitive first quarter into a runaway. The game’s tipoff was moved to an earlier time because of extreme weather conditions tied to Winter Storm Fern, but once play began, Charlotte controlled the tempo and the tone.

After a modest 28-22 Charlotte lead at the end of the first quarter, the Hornets detonated offensively, outscoring the 76ers 81-37 across the second and third quarters. By the time the fourth started, Charlotte held a 109-59 advantage, and the outcome was effectively decided. The Hornets’ starters were balanced behind Miller’s scoring, with all five finishing in double figures, a sign that the attack was not dependent on one hot hand.

Charlotte’s margin swelled to 50 points, marking another extreme blowout for a team that has recently demonstrated the ability to pile on in spurts. In the modern play-by-play era, it is rare for a club to create 50-point separation more than once in a single month, but Charlotte has now done so, underscoring both their ceiling when shots fall and the volatility of opponents’ performances against them.

For Philadelphia, the night was defined by stalled offense and an unusually quiet performance from Tyrese Maxey, who was held to a season-low six points on 3-for-12 shooting in 25 minutes. While Kelly Oubre Jr. led the 76ers with 17 points and Jared McCain added 16, the scoring was not enough to keep pace with Charlotte’s sustained two-quarter avalanche.

Charlotte also got depth contributions, including Ryan Kalkbrenner’s 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Philadelphia did win the fourth quarter 34-21, but it came long after the competitive tension had vanished, and the final margin remained one of the 76ers’ most lopsided losses of the season.

The result reinforced how quickly NBA games can flip when one team strings together stops and transition buckets, especially when the opponent’s primary scorer is off rhythm. Philadelphia returned home to host Milwaukee next, while Charlotte continued its road swing with a visit to Memphis, looking to build on a stretch of improved form and confidence.