The Sixers managed a competition low of just eight runs from their four-over power play, going eight balls without a run and taking 28 to notch their first boundary.
That came from an audacious Philippe ramp off Gurinder Sandhu and the opener was given a life off the next ball.
Coming off a run of three ducks in four innings, Philippe (57 off 35 balls) was dropped on nine and made the Thunder pay.
Phillip and Hughes (66 off 48) picked up the pace, adding 82 in just under 10 overs.
Returning to his strong early season form, Philippe smashed five fours and two sixes, pulling off some well executed ramps and big leg-side hits.
Hughes, who scored just two runs off his first 11 balls brought up a record fifth half-century in Sydney Smash matches, a fixture in which he has scored more runs than any other player.
He brought up his 50 with successive boundaries of Daniel Sams in the first power surge over.
The Thunder were guilty of sloppy fielding and pacemen Mohammed Hasnain and Sams were visibly agitated with the former exchanging words with Moises Henriques.
After Philippe's dismissal Hughes and Sixers captain Henriques (47 not out off 27) kept the pressure on the Thunder bowlers, smashing 77 runs in just seven overs.
The visitors took three wickets in the last three overs, but the runs kept flowing until the end with Sean Abbott blasting a six off the final ball of the innings.
