Charlotte obliterates Philadelphia to keep win streak alive

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Charlotte Hornets handed the Philadelphia 76ers their second-worst loss of the ongoing NBA regular season in a 37-point blowout, 130-93, on Jan. 27, 2026, at the Spectrum Center in North Carolina.

Two weeks after recording the most dominant win by any team in the 2025–26 NBA season with a 55-point demolition of the Utah Jazz, the Hornets showed no signs of slowing down and flexed their balanced firepower to the delight of their 16,361 fans.

It was only a six-point game after the low-scoring first quarter, but as the Hornets picked up their offensive rhythm midway through the second frame, everything quickly went out of hand for Philadelphia.

The 76ers were outscored, 41-22, and suddenly trailed by 25 points at halftime, 69-44, courtesy of Charlotte’s artillery that did not run out of bullets.

The Hornets’ starters all reached double figures, led by Brandon Miller, who was in the zone during Charlotte’s momentum-stealing second-quarter rally.

Miller proved to be too much for the undermanned Philadelphia squad, attacking the rim relentlessly while also knocking down wide-open three-point shots.

Just when the 76ers thought they could finally catch up after Miller took a breather on the bench, the duo of Ryan Kalkbrenner and Josh Green took over for the second unit and helped Charlotte close out the second frame with an 11-2 run.

The 76ers attempted to compensate for their lack of frontcourt presence by hiding Andre Drummond in the Hornets’ pick-and-pop execution, but none of the adjustments proved effective as Charlotte shot the ball from the perimeter with high efficiency.

The game turned into a blacktop park pickup contest when Charlotte again outscored Philadelphia at the end of the third quarter, 40-15, mounting its biggest lead of the game at 50 points as the final period began.

With nothing going for the Philadelphia offense, head coach Nick Nurse decided to pull all of his starters with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

In just 27 minutes of playing time, Miller spearheaded Charlotte’s overwhelming barrage with 30 points on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting from the field, along with eight rebounds and two steals.

Also stepping up in the bright lights was Kalkbrenner, who delivered an all-around performance of 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal.

On the other hand, the 76ers dropped their second straight game without Joel Embiid and Paul George, who are still recovering from their respective injuries.

The Hornets will gun for their fourth straight win on Jan. 29, 2026, against the Memphis Grizzlies, while the 76ers aim to recover later today against the Milwaukee Bucks.