SportsLine's model just revealed its NBA picks for the Charlotte Hornets vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night

Tyrese Maxey has taken the reins as Philly's premier scorer, and we expect the Sixers guard to continue his December to remember against Charlotte.

With just three games in action on Friday night, arguably the best one comes between the NBA’s best squad (so far) – the Cleveland Cavaliers – and the NBA Cup c

Embiid, who suffered the injury on Dec. 13 against the Indiana Pacers, was previously slated to return against the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 23.

Wearing a protective mask, Joel Embiid scores 34 points in the 76ers' 108-98 win over the Hornets on Friday night after missing a game because of a sinus fracture.

The Sixers offense was riding high off its 41 points in the first quarter, but then came a major cold stretch. The Sixers only scored six points in the first seven-plus minutes of the second quarter, allowing Charlotte to stick around rather than putting the Hornets away and setting the stage for a 48-minute, stress-free game.