With a 129-112 Game 5 victory over Washington, the 76ers are Eastern Conference Semifinals-bound.
Despite the absence of Joel Embiid (right knee soreness), the Sixers advanced, 4-1, as the rest of the roster rose to the occasion.
Seth Curry led the way for the Sixers, scoring 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting. He was3-for-6 from deep, and 7-for-7 from the line.
Tobias Harris poured in 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block, and Ben Simmons notched a 19-point, 10-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.
Simmons’ triple-double marks his first in this year’s playoffs, and the third in his playoff career.
It was a back-and-forth first half, with the Sixers taking a 65-63 lead into the break. The third quarter tipped the scales, though, as the Sixers outscored the Wizards, 38-31, in the frame.
The Sixers shot 66.7% from the field (12-18 fg) and 57.1% from deep (4-7 3fg) in the third period.
Bradley Beal led the way for Washington, scoring 32 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Russell Westbrook added 24 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists.
Matisse Thybulle (7 pts, 1 stl) started in place of Embiid, who is considered day-to-day.
Key Contributors:
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Tyrese Maxey
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Maxey scored a bench-high 13 points, plus six rebounds, two assists, and a steal, finishing a bench-high +14 in his 26 minutes
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Dwight Howard
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Howard scored 12 points and grabbed a bench-high eight rebounds. He shot 2-for-2 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line.
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Furkan Korkmaz
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Korkmaz finished with 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 14 minutes of play.
Turning Point:
The third quarter made the difference for the Sixers, which were fueled by Curry’s 12 points in the period. He shot 4-for-5 from the field in the third quarter.
Harris, Simmons, and Howard scored six apiece in the third, and Thybulle scored five. Simmons shared five assists in the third frame.
Quote to Note:
A true team effort.
Up Next:
Advancing to the Conference Semifinals, the Sixers will once again hold homecourt advantage as they host the Atlanta Hawks, which also advanced on Wednesday night, winning their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup with the Knicks, 4-1. The Hawks topped the Knicks, 103-89 in Wednesday’s win.
Trae Young led the Hawks in scoring in all five of their games versus New York, scoring 36 points, four rebounds, and nine assists in Atlanta’s Wednesday win.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals begin Sunday.