Takeaways after Joel Embiid dominates in 76ers blow out win in Game 3
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images
In the last game Joel Embiid played at Capital One Arena before Saturday night, he suffered a left knee bone bruise, an injury he feared might end an MVP-caliber season.
Game three of the Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round playoff series was a much more enjoyable evening for him. Embiid was at his best, scoring 36 points on 14-for-18 shooting in a 132-103 Sixers win over the Washington Wizards.
The Sixers lead the series 3-0 and can advance to the second round with a victory Monday night in game four.
Russell Westbrook (right ankle sprain) was a game-time decision but suited up and had a triple-double with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Bradley Beal needed 26 field-goal attempts to score 25 points.
Here’s three takeaways:
Embiid plays like the MVP
Perhaps warned by Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris’ efficient Game 2 performances, the Wizards was more concerned in sending help on Embiid. That was a dangerous approach.
Embiid is too strong and too skilled for any player on the Wizards. He has been a stellar jump shooter this season, with the alarming “for a 7-footer” not required. With his shots falling from the perimeter, his slow-motion pump fakes were especially convincing Saturday night.
The MVP finalist was in peak form in the second quarter, seeming to make the correct decision every time he had the ball. The Sixers have been good this year about ensuring Embiid gets the ball on every possession when he’s rolling, too.
Embiid just missed a thunderous dunk attempt late in the second quarter. He sensed an opportunity for another one soon after, though, and delivered. Playing the WWE heel role, he asked the home fans to increase the volume of their boos.
The Wizards did not guard Embiid (or the Sixers in general) intelligently, and he capitalized on many of their mistakes. Alex Len fouled him about 65 feet from the hoop with just 0.8 seconds left in the first half.
The other two members of the Sixers’ bug three again had clear matchup advantages. Simmons was aggressive in his initial stint and recorded 14 points and nine assists in the game. He’s played very well in the series’ first three games despite missing all nine of his free throw attempts.
Harris, who posted 20 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, has shot 57.1% in the series.
Every Sixers starter scored at least 14 points.
3s on 3s on 3s
Seth Curry was not resisting to shoot early, knocking down one jumper from the right corner and then another from the opposite corner.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers has encouraged him to fire throughout the season.
“We obviously brought it up in our pre-playoff package to the team about what everybody should do more and what they can do better. I just told him, ‘I don’t think I’ve told a lot of shooters they should shoot open shots more.’ But he’s doing it and it’s good, because he is such a threat. It really helps our offense.”
Rivers said pregame.
Nobody on the Sixers was hesitant to put up long-range jumpers and Danny Green led the way, converting 5 of 9 threes. The 33-year-old missed a heat check from close to 30 feet out in the second quarter. Fair enough.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks brought Davis Bertans into his starting lineup in place of Raul Neto. One reason for that logical move was Bertans’ shooting skill and the fact that Washington was coming off of a ghastly Game 2 from three-point range (2-for-22).
Bertans did not singlehandedly solve that issue. He made 1 of 5 threes and Washington went 8-for-25 as a team.
Bertans is nine inches taller than the 6-foot-1 Neto, whom the Sixers frequently targeted on defense in games one and two. He was not a significant defensive upgrade, though. The Sixers’ ball movement was excellent and no Wizards coverage ever seriously stymied them.
Rotation tweaks
Tyrese Maxey played over Shake Milton in an all-bench Sixers lineup at the end of the first quarter.
With Maxey looking good early in the series and Milton 0-for-6 from the floor in game two, it wasn’t a stunning move. Rivers acknowledged before the game that the Sixers don’t think Milton is best as a primary ball handler.
“We don’t have him bringing (the ball) up as much as he has in the past, for sure. I think just the ball pressure alone bothers him.”
Rivers said.
Though he’s a 20-year-old rookie, Maxey is a self-assured, low-turnover player. The potential downside of playing him and leaving out Milton is removing a good outside shooter from the mix.
Milton was not outside of the rotation completely as he first appeared with 1:10 remaining in the second quarter. He scored four points and committed four turnovers in 11 minutes. Maxey had four points and two assists in his 11 minutes.
Even if Maxey is a preferred option for the time being, the Sixers would sure like if Milton could make a few shots and get into an offensive groove. He played in garbage time as the Sixers closed out another comfortable playoff victory.
Up next
The Sixers will try and sweep the Wizards in the nation’s capital Monday night.
