By: Kylan Watson
The Philadelphia 76ers continued their homestand as they faced the new-look Washington Wizards who were hungry for a victory. It took awhile but the Sixers were able to pull away thanks to an offensive barrage from Joel Embiid they beat Washington 146-128.
Philly started the game off hot they hit their first couple of shots and were able to impose their will on the smaller Washington defenders. Joel Embiid was the high man for Philly as he scored 48-points, grabbed 11-rebounds, and had six-assists. He had a big third quarter as he scored 29-pointt and hit 10/10 of his shots, and nine/nine free throws. Embiid is the first Sixer to do that since at least the 1996-97 season. Since the opening game against Milwaukee, he has rounded in to form and it has helped Philly obtain the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. His playmaking continues to be a revolution for Philly’s offense. If he can continue this pace, it should help Philly be able to acclimate their new pieces and have one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. The Sixers also got to see Nicolas Batum play for the first time since the James Harden trade and he showed that he can play with Embiid and Maxey. He scored 11-points in the game and hit three/four three-pointers. His defense will be pivotal to holding the strong wing players in the conference in check. This Sixers team has plenty of pieces and if they can come together as a unit, they will be a force to be reckon with.
Despite having a talent disadvantage the Wizards continued to fight throughout this game. At one point they were able to get a lead in the game. The duo of Kyle Kuzma (28-points) and Jordan Poole (23-points) combined for 51 of Washington’s 128-points. Both players made their opposing defenders pay for giving them any room to put up a shot. With these two players Washington should be able to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference and if they can add some more pieces should be a contender in the next few years.
The Sixers will now prepare to face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, and they will need to stay attached to their man if they want to keep the Celtics dynamic offense in check. Batum and Harris should get the primary defensive assignment on Tatum, and they will need to force him into bad shots and force somebody else to beat them. Additionally, Philly will need to keep their ball movement going to find high percentage shots and take advantage of Boston’s over-aggressive defensive schemes. If they can do these things, they can beat the Celtics and stake their claim to being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
