NBA Playoffs: The Wizards cook up some magic to stay alive against the Sixers
Washington, District of Columbia - The Washington Wizards can breathe a sigh of relief for at least a little bit longer after winning game four over the Philadelphia 76ers, avoiding the series sweep.
Washington held firm at home in what could’ve been their last game of the season. The 122-114 win over Philly to finally got them going in the series and kept them alive in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Russell Westbrook (32), as most would guess, did indeed earn another triple-double, but the most important part of Monday night’s game was that the Wizards weren’t swept. Washington came into this series falling fast into a 0-3 hole dug by the top-seeded Sixers.
The pressure was all on the Wizards as they kept up with the Sixers from the start of the game, but it was lifted considerably after MVP candidate Joel Embiid had to exit the game with a knee injury towards the end of the first quarter. While the rest of the Sixers stepped up in Embiid’s absence, the Wizards kept pace, only trailing by one at the half.
Washington shored up the defense once the second half got underway, taking advantage of the Philly’s absent big man. In the third quarter, the Sixers were held to only 19 points, their lowest total in any quarter so far this series.
"We need Joel to win. He's a big part of this team," the Sixers' Ben Simmons admitted in a postgame interview with ESPN.
The Wizards fought hard to keep from getting swept at home
There’s little doubt that had Embiid not exited the game at all, the Wizards would be thinking more about summer vacation plans, and not an upcoming game five. But the reality is that Washington responded when their season was on the line.
Russell Westbrook, still playing with an injured ankle, scored his 12th career playoff triple-double with 19 points, a whopping 21 rebounds, and 14 assists. His teammate, Bradley Beal led all scorers in the game with 27 points in the game four win.
It’s unclear so far whether Embiid will be available for game five. All that Sixers Head Coach Doc Rivers could say in his postgame interview with ESPN was that "precautionary" tests would be done prior to the next game.
Either the Sixers are wrapping up the series, or the Wizards live to fight another day in Game 5 on Wednesday night, from Philadelphia.
Cover photo: IMAGO / student