By: Kylan Watson

After falling to the Miami Heat on Monday night, the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Washington Wizards for the final time this season. Philly used a third quarter scoring explosion to beat Washington 122-103, ending their 12-game losing streak, and building positive momentum heading into the final two games of the regular season.

The Sixers once again found their offensive rhythm early in this game as they were able to cash in on the high-percentage shooting opportunities created by their ball movement. They were able to get an early lead over Washington at the end of the first quarter. Jeff Dowtin Jr. (30 points), Lonnie Walker IV (24 points), Quentin Grimes (17 points), and Adem Bona (17 points) combined to score 88 of the Sixers’ 122 points in this game.

Dowtin Jr. went off in this game as he played for the first time in two weeks because he only has two NBA games left in his two-way contract. He took full advantage of this opportunity to finally get back on the floor scoring 11 of his 30 points in the third quarter, and helping the Sixers increase their lead in that period.  Which ended any hopes Washington had of coming back in this game.

Throughout this season, Dowtin Jr. has proven that he can be a solid backup point guard if given a chance. At the end of the season, he can no longer be given a two-way contract. So, he should get a chance to show what he can do even if it is not in a Sixers uniform. Continuing to develop his game and putting points on the board like he did tonight, should make an NBA team throw money at him, and give him the opportunity to show his skillset for a full season.

Despite the offensive explosion from Dowtin Jr., Walker IV, Grimes, and Bona the Wizards still had multiple opportunities to win this game. Tristan Vukcevic scored 24 points in tonight’s game for Washington, and he got whatever he wanted from the field. However, the Sixers were able to increase the defensive pressure through their zone defensive scheme. That forced the Wizards to execute their offensive scheme in the half-court and they could not make enough shots to make the Sixers pay in this contest. Philly limited their turnovers and held Washington to one possession and that allowed them to increase their lead over a young Wizards squad. As a result, they were able to get a much-needed victory and end their losing streak.

Philly is building momentum and building chemistry as they enter their final two games of the season this weekend. They will face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night and will need to limit their turnovers, cash in on the high-percentage shooting opportunities created off their ball movement, and make sure that Trae Young and the rest of Atlanta’s shooters take well contested shots throughout the night. Implementing these things into their game plan for Friday night should put them in great shape to win their 25^th game of the season and continuing  to build positive momentum heading into the offseason.