Field Level Media
Feb 6, 2018
Joel Embiid scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers past the Washington Wizards 115-102 Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
It was the 30th game this season in which Embiid scored at least 20 points.
Philadelphia's Dario Saric scored 20 points, JJ Redick added 18 and Ben Simmons had 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Robert Covington also had 12 points for the Sixers, who moved one game above .500 in the first contest of a five-game homestand.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 30 points while Otto Porter Jr. added 17. Ian Mahinmi contributed 13 and Markieff Morris had 11 for the Wizards, who had their five-game winning streak snapped. Kelly Oubre Jr. chipped in with 10.
The Sixers held a consistent double-digit lead through the third quarter and into the fourth. When Embiid drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the Sixers pulled ahead 100-84 with 10:16 remaining.
Washington kept battling on the second leg of a back-to-back. Mahinmi later hit a hook shot and drew a foul for a three-point play, cutting the Sixers' lead to 104-95 with 5:03 left.
However, the Sixers made some clutch shots, including a trey by Redick, to pull away for the victory.
Perhaps riding the energy from numerous members of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles being at the game, the Sixers came out red hot. They surged to leads of 26-7 and 30-9 in the first before ending the quarter ahead 37-20.
In those first 12 minutes, the Sixers shot 16 of 23 (70 percent), their highest percentage in any first quarter all season.
Some costly turnovers in the second hurt, and Beal also knocked down some clutch baskets to get the Wizards within 65-55 at halftime.
Philadelphia shot a sizzling 63 percent in the first half -- 27 of 43 -- also a season high.
Saric led the Sixers with 15 points before the break. Porter paced the Wizards with 15 first-half points while Beal added 11.
For the game, Philadelphia shot 55.6 percent to Washington's 44.1 percent.
--Field Level Media