The 76ers (20-12) are on the move, visiting the Washington Wizards (13-21) on Tuesday for the second stop on their holiday road trip.
The trip started on the highest of notes, as the Sixers secured their eighth consecutive victory on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden, beating the Knicks (18-16), 119-112, after erasing a 14-point deficit.
“It’s one of those games where you just had to stick around,” James Harden (29 pts, 4 reb, 13 ast, 4 stl) said postgame Sunday. “You stick around, stick around, stick around, and then in the fourth quarter, you give yourselves a chance. They missed some shots, and we came down and executed.”
Tuesday’s meeting with the Wizards marks the third of four meetings between the Sixers and Wizards this season, after splitting the first pair of games during a Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 home-and-home. The visiting team earned a victory in both games.
Kristaps Porzingis was the Wizards’ leading scorer in both matchups, scoring 32 points in the first meeting and 30 in the second. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers in both contests, with a 28-point outing in Washington and a 32-point performance in Philadelphia.
The Wizards have struggled since, but emerged from a 10-game losing streak to win two of their last three games.
Washington’s most recent outing was a 125-111 win at Sacramento on Friday. Kyle Kuzma led the way for the Wizards, tallying 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the win.
Tuesday’s matchup is a 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff.
Sunday’s Key Performances:
Joel Embiid
James Harden
De’Anthony Melton
Georges Niang
76ers vs. New York Knicks: Dec. 25, 2022
1 / 7NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 25: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the fourth quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 25, 2022 in New York City.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Joel Embiid on De’Anthony Melton’s crucial sharpshooting:
“[De’Anthony] kept us in the game. We had a slow start, once again. They got hot; it was too easy for them. He kept us in the game, and we started getting to the line more often and from there we just knew what to do to be able to get the lead and in the game.”