Recap: Wizards defeated by Sixers 132-103 in Game 3

Recap: Wizards defeated by Sixers 132-103 in Game 3
By Jackson Filyo
WashingtonWizards.com
May 29, 2021

FINAL: Wizards 103 | Sixers 132

BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS

SCORING LEADERS

Wizards: Russell Westbrook (26), Bradley Beal (25), Daniel Gafford (16)

Sixers: Joel Embiid (36), Tobias Harris (20), Danny Green (15), Seth Curry (15)

SUMMARY

The Wizards were defeated by the Sixers 132-103 on Saturday night in Game 3 of the teams’ first round series. Washington now trails 0-3 and will look to avoid a sweep in Game 4 on Monday night at Capital One Arena. Russell Westbrook led the way for Washington with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Joel Embiid scored a game-high 36 points.

Shortly after the Wizards opened the game making their first three field goals, the Sixers answered with an 8-0 run, prompting a Washington timeout. Davis Bertans, making his first start of the postseason, knocked down a three coming out of the break, but the Wizards couldn’t slow down the Sixers’ momentum. Philadelphia took a 10-point lead on a Tobias Harris 3-pointer and led by as many as 16 in the opening frame. Washington closed the first quarter on a 14-6 run, highlighted by a fast break layup from Davis Bertans off a Daniel Gafford block, to cut the lead to eight points entering the second quarter. Seven consecutive points from Westbrook to start the second quarter cut the lead to 40-36. Westbrook played the entire second quarter, totaling 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. Washington, however, couldn’t pull any closer. Philadelphia shot 14-22 (.636) from the field and 5-8 (.625) from three in the second quarter and led 72-58 at halftime.

Westbrook opened the second half with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions before a pair of threes by the Sixers put a halt to the Wizards’ run. Beal and Westbrook combined for 17 points in the third, but Harris and Joel Embiid were too much for the Washington defense to handle. The Sixers’ frontcourt duo combined for 22 points on 9-9 (1.000) shooting in the third, sparking a 22-9 run that put Philadelphia up 27. The Wizards turned to their reserves for most of the fourth quarter and were unable to put a dent in Philadelphia’s advantage. Washington shot just 6-23 (.26.1) from the field and 0-11 (.000) from three in the final frame.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

Westbrook overcomes ankle injury for 11th career playoff triple-double

After sustaining a right ankle sprain in Game 2 in Philadelphia, Westbrook’s availability for Game 3 was not determined until just before tip. Despite going back and forth from the court to the locker room for treatment throughout the game, the former MVP still managed to put on a standout performance on efficient shooting. He finished with a team-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, his 11th career playoff triple-double, tied with Jason Kidd for third in NBA history behind only Magic Johnson (30) and Lebron James (28). Westbrook has scored 20-plus points in 10 of his 11 career playoff triple-doubles. Only James (26) and Johnson (12) have more 20-10-10 playoff games in NBA history. Westbrook shot 9-18 (.500) from the field and 3-6 (.500) from 3-point range.

Beal inches closer to 1,000 career playoff points

Beal continued what has been a strong series. He finished the night with 25 points on 10-26 (.384) shooting and just 1-8 (.125) from three to go along with six rebounds and three assists. He did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 14 points on 6-12 (.500) shooting. Beal finished two points shy of his 1,000th career playoff point, a milestone he’ll reach early on in Game 4. With 998 career playoff points, Beal now trails only Elvin Hayes (1,997), Wes Unseld (1,260) and Phil Chenier (1,088) on the team’s all-time playoff scoring list.

Embiid continues dominant series performance

The Wizards have had trouble slowing down Joel Embiid all series long and Saturday night was no different. After averaging 26.0 points per game on 60.7% shooting and finishing a combined plus-39 in 56 minutes in Games 1 and 2, Embiid put up his most impressive stat line of the series. The Sixers’ center totaled 36 points on 14-18 (.777) from the field, 3-4 (.750) from 3-point range and 5-7 (.714) from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds, three steals and a block. Embiid finished plus-29 in 28 minutes of action.

NEXT UP: Sixers at Wizards / Monday, May 31 / 7:00 P.M. / Capital One Arena

Joel Embiid’s dunk on Rui Hachimura told the tale. The Sixers need to end the Wizards in Game 4 | David Murphy
It isn’t often that a man gets an opportunity to walk a mile in the moccasins of a bowling pin, but there Rui Hachimura was, standing alone on the edge of the restricted area, aware that he had a calculation to make.

Staring into the void of a wide open paint, the second-year forward saw 290 pounds of MVP candidate barrelling toward him with the ball in his hands and a full head of steam and no other Wizards between Point A and Point B. Rather than hold his ground and contest an inevitable dunk, Hachimura slyly removed himself from the pending tragedy, politely making way for Joel Embiid’s rim-rocking punctuation mark. Heaven, apparently, can wait.

The offseason? That’s another story. As Embiid celebrated his dunk in the closing minutes of the first half by holding up a hand to his ear, you could almost hear Doc Rivers yelling from the bench, “End it on Monday!” Up 3-0 on a Wizards team that looks well aware of its fate, the only thing left for the Sixers to do is make it a quick and painless end. They’ve given themselves a whale of an opportunity. Now, it’s time to handle it like a championship team.

» READ MORE: CLOSING IN ON A SWEEP: Joel Embiid, Sixers dominate the Wizards, 132-103, and are one win away from advancing to the second round

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“It would be big for us,” Sixers forward Tobias Harris said after the Sixers’ flattened the Wizards 132-103 in Game 3 of this first-round playoff series. “From the start of the series, the goal is always to come in and handle business ... We need that same type of mentality in the next one.”

Win on Monday, and the Sixers will have a week to prepare for the Eastern Conference semis, which are slated to begin on June 6. Might as well end it and get the rest, because it’s already over. Maybe it never should have started. That’s how overmatched the Wizards have been in the first three games of this series. They were a playoff team only because the rules say that eight teams must qualify. The Sixers have an opportunity to right that wrong on Monday. Given the way the rest of Eastern Conference playoffs are unfolding, they would be wise to take advantage.

Even before Game 3 tipped off at Capital One Arena on Saturday night, one of the Sixers’ biggest obstacles in the Eastern Conference had punched their ticket to the second round. The Bucks should have raised several eyebrows with their authoritative sweep of the Heat, especially when the Sixers think back to their regular-season struggles against the East’s third seed. A victory by the Nets over the Celtics on Sunday would leave Brooklyn a game away from locking in an epic conference semifinals matchup as the Sixers await the outcome of the Hawks-Knicks series (Atlanta enters Sunday’s Game 4 up, 2-1). The Sixers will tell you that they can’t afford to look past either team, but let’s be real. An extra week of rest and preparation would pay dividends that extend far beyond this next series.

The Sixers sound like they understand the importance of the task at hand. Why shouldn’t they? They know Seth Curry was a game-time decision with an ankle injury. They know that Embiid feels each of his minutes more than most men of more mortal proportions. They know that Tobias Harris has battled a knee injury this season. They know that Danny Green and George Hill are 33 and 35 years old.

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» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s MVP chants in Washington, viewers amazed at Danny Green’s shooting, and other social reactions from Game 3 of Sixers-Wizards

“It’s real important, especially if you have older guys or guys banged up,” said Green, who knocked down five threes on Saturday night in what was his 148th career playoff game. “That week would definitely help them get their strength, some other guys get their rhythm, and it’s always good to get reps.”

Thus far, things have gone about as well as anybody could have hoped. In three games, the Sixers have gotten three 20-point first-half performances from their top three scorers. After Harris and Ben Simmons led the way in Games 1 and 2, Embiid used Game 3 as an exhibition of his MVP credentials. The Wizards shifted away from their strategy of double-teaming the big man and seemed resigned to the consequences. In just 28 minutes of action, he scored 36 points, and shot 14-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. He has yet to crack the 30-minute mark in this series, with two back-to-back blowouts following a Game 1 that he spent in foul trouble.

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By the 8-minute mark of the fourth quarter, the Sixers were in shutdown mode. Green was sauntering around the sideline, gazing into the stands. Curry was sipping Gatorade and standing next to Simmons, who had his legs splayed open while leaning back in a folding chair behind the baseline.

Even when they were on the court, they’d carried themselves with a similar ease. Embiid spent the first half shaking and shimmying his way to 25 points. Green interrupted his string of four second-quarter three-pointers by pulling up from 25 feet on a fast break for a comically off-the-mark heat check. Curry celebrated a corner three in the first quarter by giving Davis Bertans a nodding, back-pedaling stare down.

There’s a thin line between swagger and complacency. The Sixers need to walk the right side of it one more time.

“We’ve got a lot of games to win to get to where we want to be,” Simmons said. “But, overall, we’re on track to where we want to go.”

They’ve already won three games. Now it’s time to win a free week.

Published May 30, 2021
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid cruises to playoff career-high 36 points in rout of Washington Wizards
Getting little resistance and feeling confident in deploying his full array of offensive skills, Joel Embiid unleashed a crushing performance Saturday night, as he posted a playoff career-high 36 points in just 28 minutes to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 132-103 victory at the Washington Wizards.

He made 14 of 18 shots, with a stream of power moves, fadeaway jumpers and 3-pointers, as the 76ers took their first 3-0 lead in a postseason series since 1985.

The Wizards, who have matchup issues all across the floor against the bigger and deeper 76ers, didn't double-team Embiid as aggressively as they did in Games 1 and 2 while looking to deploy attention elsewhere. Embiid crushed the strategy, piling up 25 points in the first half.

He is averaging 30.6 points on a relentless 67% shooting, including 55% on 3-pointers after making 3-of-4 in Game 3.

"It was one-on-one, and I wanted to take advantage of it. I guess that's on them to make that choice," Embiid said. "It's hard to stop me if you send a double-team or not."