Sixers show what can happen when Big Three finally align

For a night, it all clicked.

The 76ers saw their vision come together in a win over the Hornets on Saturday, with Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey combining for 81 points.

That’s the idea. The fit. The balance. The production.

It hasn’t always looked like this. Injuries and inconsistency have gotten in the way. But when all three are rolling, the pieces make sense.

And the timing matters. Philadelphia is battling for positioning in a tight Eastern Conference race, and the win delivered a key tiebreaker over Charlotte.

“Top-end talent is what secures postseason wins, and the 76ers have arguably the most top-end talent in the Eastern Conference,” wrote Tony Jones of The Athletic. “It doesn’t make them a favorite, but if they are healthy, it does make them a tough and dangerous team.

“And it’s a reason why the Sixers can’t be buried. This season has gone better than last season’s unmitigated disaster. Yet, this year has still been marked by inconsistency and health issues. It’s still marked by precious little time with the best players on the floor.”

In other words, there’s still work to do. But for one night, at least, this looked like the version the Sixers had in mind.