After a disappointing, frustrating week, the Philadelphia 76ers got back on track Saturday night with a 125-108 win over the Washington Wizards.
Much like the last meeting between the teams, in which the Wizards stole a victory from the Sixers, Washington wasn’t interested in rolling over for the Sixers.
Philadelphia built a seven-point lead by the end of the first quarter and saw that advantage grow as large as 23 in the second before a late push from the Wizards cut it to 12 at the break.
Washington further trimmed the lead in the third quarter, trailing by just eight heading into the final frame. This time the Sixers seized control, pushing their lead back to double figures and cruising to a 17-point victory.
It was a balanced effort for Philadelphia, as a total of six Sixers reached double figures.
Joel Embiid and Josh Richardson tied for the team lead with 21 points each. Embiid added 13 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Ben Simmons chipped in 14 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. Tobias Harris contributed 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists while Al Horford 13 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
Trey Burke led the bench unit with 12 points. The Sixers also got solid bench contributions from Matisse Thybulle, who had nine points and was a +19, as well as James Ennis III (seven points, six rebounds) and Mike Scott and Furkan Korkmaz, who had six points each.
The Sixers shot the ball much better, connecting on 52.1% from the field and 42.4% from 3. They were also dominant on the boards, outrebounding Washington 53-38. The Sixers piled up 16 offensive rebounds.
Perhaps more importantly, the defense looked much more like the unit we expected to see from the team this season. Washington shot 40.9% from the field and just 22.6% from 3.
It was a much-needed solid performance from the team, and it was great to see them respond to the shaky week they’ve had and come out with some aggression and handle business.
The Sixers will look to start another winning streak on Monday when they take on the Pistons in Detroit.