Paul George, Tyrese Maxey lead 76ers over Hornets 110-104 to earn first first back-to-back wins

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Paul George scored 29 points, Tyrese Maxey had eight of his 21 points in the final 30 seconds and the Philadelphia 76ers won back-to-back games for the first time this season with a 110-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.

Jared McCain added 17 points off the bench and Kelly Oubre scored 14 for Philadelphia (5-14), which finished 2-2 in Group A NBA Cup play. Charlotte was 0-4. Neither team advanced out of pool play.

Brandon Miller had 34 points, and Nick Richards had a strong outing in his second game back from injury with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Charlotte (6-15) finished its homestand 0-5.

The Hornets got solid performances from both rookie draft picks as Tidjane Salaun recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and K.J. Simpson added eight points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Philadelphia led by double digits most of the game, but Charlotte rallied to take the lead with 1:32 left on Miller's seventh 3-pointer of the second half. But it was short-lived as Maxey's layup with 29.7 seconds put the 76ers ahead.

Maxey sealed the win with four more throws and a transition layup.

76ers: Philadelphia seems to be rounding into form with its third win in five games. The ball isn't sticking as much, which resulted in more open shots against the Hornets.

Hornets: Center Mark Williams returned to the court for the first time in nearly a year. Williams had four points and three rebounds and looked rusty in his first game since Dec. 8, 2023.

Trailing by 2, Miller missed a floater that would have tied the game.

George was 10 of 16 from the field and 6 of 9 from beyond the arc.

The 76ers host the Magic on Wednesday night. The Hornets visit the Knicks on Thursday night.

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Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (4) pulls down an offensive rebound against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry, top, battles Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) shoots over Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson (25) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) and Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) look on during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, right, shoots against Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry, top, battles Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson, left, drives against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, left, looks to drive to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) looks to drive against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)