The Sixers took on the Wizards on Sunday evening, dominating by a score of 117-96 as the team started off their three-game road trip on the right foot. Philadelphia was led by Joel Embiid (34 points and 13 rebounds) and Tobias Harris(23 points and 7 rebounds) while Washington was led by Spencer Dinwiddie(17 points and 6 assists).
Embiid Domination
Joel Embiid came out aggressive from the start in this one. He had 18 points in the first half and ended with 34 points. He handled the double teams that came pretty well except for a few plays. He also showed some good effort on the boards, especially on the offensive glass.
He got into it with Wizards forward Montrez Harrell in the third quarter, which actually fueled the big fella and the Sixers to go on a run that helped put the game away. On nights like tonight, Embiid shows why he can be so dominant for this team. He also surpassed 7,000 points in his career tonight, which puts him in really good company in franchise history.
Tobias Harris
Harris has been very inconsistent since he returned to play from his time off battling COVID-19. In some games, he has been borderline terrible, and the Sixers need more out of Harris, with him being counted on as the second scorer for this team.
Harris had a good game tonight on both ends of the floor. He played bully ball on whoever was guarding him for the majority of the night. He also was good on the boards, and that is an area where the team really struggles. Harris looked like the guy who was snubbed as an All-Star last season, and hopefully, he can string a few of these types of performances together.
They Actually Played Defense
The Sixers showed effort on the defensive side of the ball for four quarters against the Wizards. The effort was led by Matisse Thybulle and Joel Embiid. Thybulle harassed Spencer Dinwiddie all evening, even with Dinwiddie complaining to the referees all evening. Embiid controlled the paint this evening, helping the Sixers win the rebounding battle. The Sixers need to continue to show this type of effort going forward.
Pop The Kork
Coming into tonight, Furkan Korkmaz has been the definition of ice-cold, shooting 2-20 from three-point range. Korkmaz came out firing tonight, helping the bench contribute to keeping the Sixers front running. He scored 14 points, and hopefully, this will end his cold streak because the Sixers really need his shooting and spacing.
The Sixers continue their road trip in Toronto against the Raptors on Tuesday at 7:30 PM.
Photo by Ringo Chiu/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire
