Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all scored more than 20 points for the first time in 1 1/2 seasons together, guiding the Philadelphia 76ers to a 131-110 win over the visiting Washington Wizards on Wednesday.
Embiid (28 points), George (23) and Maxey (22) led seven players in double figures for the Sixers, who used a 16-0 run spanning the final two quarters to post their fourth win in five games. VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 13 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Philadelphia welcomed back Kelly Oubre (knee) and Trendon Watford (adductor), both of whom had not played since November. Oubre scored two points in 20 minutes, while Watford registered three assists in a four-minute run.
Tre Johnson scored 20 points and Bub Carrington made five 3-pointers in an 18-point effort for Washington, which had won five of its previous seven games. The Wizards played without CJ McCollum (quad) and Kyshawn George (hip), among others.
Philadelphia led 87-80 late in the third quarter before Dominick Barlow’s layup and Edgecombe’s 3-pointer created a 12-point margin heading into the fourth. The Sixers then tacked on the first 11 points of the final frame, with Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes each accounting for four points during that burst.
The Wizards never seriously threatened thereafter.
Maxey made four 3-pointers as part of a 16-point first quarter for the dynamic guard. The Sixers led by as many as 13 points in the period before settling for a 37-30 lead after 12 minutes.
AJ Johnson’s layup capped a 19-5 run by Washington, giving the visitors a one-point lead early in the second quarter. The Wizards led for several minutes before the Sixers took control late in the session en route to a 62-56 lead at the break.
George scored 13 second-quarter points and had 18 points at intermission. Maxey led all players with 20 first-half points, while Embiid went into the locker room with 16.
Embiid scored eight points in the first three minutes of the third quarter, helping the hosts take a 72-60 advantage. Washington chipped away, closing to within 87-80 on Carrington’s 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the period before Philadelphia embarked on its game-clinching run.
–Field Level Media
