76ers vs. Wizards: 3 Things That Stood Out on Tuesday

What stood out for the Sixers in their matchup against the Washington Wizards?

Following a significant Christmas Day win against the New York Knicks on Sunday, the Philadelphia 76ers returned to the court on Tuesday night to face the Washington Wizards.

Tuesday’s game marked the third matchup between the Sixers and the Wizards this year. Back in late October, when the 76ers paid a visit to the Wizards, Philadelphia snagged a victory without their All-Star center on the court.

Two nights later, the Wizards visited the Sixers in South Philly and got revenge for the previous game. A couple of months later, the Wizards were able to build on their previous success against the 76ers. While Washington got off to a sloppy start, they took control of the game early and entered halftime out in front with a 67-56 lead.

While the Sixers outscored the Wizards in the final two quarters, they couldn’t execute down the stretch when they needed to the most. As a result, the Sixers took on a 116-111 loss to the Wizards on Tuesday. 

With that loss, the Sixers’ eight-game win streak has concluded as they picked up their 13th loss of the season to the now 14-21 Washington Wizards.

Here’s what stood out during the matchup.

An Unfavorable Trend Continues

Slow starts have become a trend for the 76ers during this stretch. In the two games prior to their matchup in Washington, the Sixers trailed by double digits for a majority of the games against the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks.

Despite being down for nearly three quarters both times, the Sixers found ways to climb back, get out in front, and snag comeback wins. They might’ve thought they could do the same against the Wizards on Tuesday, but Washington humbled the Sixers.

Losing one game in late December after an 8-0 run is far from the end of the world. The Sixers will inevitably come up short in matchups moving forward. Still, their showing in DC on Tuesday night was disappointing, considering they had several opportunities to change the outcome of the game, but failed to execute to the fullest. 

Joel Embiid Remains Dominant

If you want to take away something positive from Tuesday’s game as a Sixers fan, look no further than Joel Embiid’s offensive performance.

Once again, the big man is quickly inserting himself into the NBA’s Most Valuable Player conversation. He helped his case on Tuesday with a nearly 50-point showing. 

In 35 minutes of action, Embiid took 32 shots from the field, 17 of which went in. He also added 13 points through free throws. Embiid scored 48 points while collecting ten rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.

Typically, 48-point performances are a big deal for a player, but to Embiid, it’s becoming routine for the big man to load up on points as he continues to level up his game. With another strong personal outing, Embiid improved his case to be named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month as he’s averaged 37 points, ten rebounds, four assists, and two blocks per game through 11 games in December. 

Ice Cold From Deep

If you like three-point shootouts, Tuesday’s game was not for you. The Wizards chucked up 33 shots from beyond the arc, hitting on just 33 percent of them. You could say Washington struggled from deep, but the Sixers did much worse in that category.

With 31 shots attempted from three, the Sixers drained just six shots from beyond the arc, good enough for just 19 percent. Only one Sixer attempted more than five threes on Tuesday in Georges Niang, who knocked only one of his deep shots. 

James Harden and De’Anthony Melton were the only two Sixers to hit on multiple threes, with two a piece on 13 combined attempts coming from them. Cold shooting nights will happen. Unfortunately, that played a key part in Philadelphia’s defeat on Tuesday.