After game-winning heroics from Joel Embiid Friday versus Portland, the 76ers (44-22) are back in action as they host the Washington Wizards (31-36) Sunday.
The Sixers led for just 1.1 seconds in Friday’s 120-119 win over the Trail Blazers, but they were the 1.1 seconds that mattered.
Including that game-winner, Embiid finished with a game-high 39 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and three blocks.
Sunday’s meeting - the fourth and final between the 76ers and Wizards this season - offers the Sixers a chance to win five in a row amid one of their most difficult stretches of the season. Twelve of the team’s 17 March games are road games - a challenge the group continues to embrace.
“When I saw the schedule, I actually liked it for us,” Embiid said of the March scheduling juggernaut. “It was right before the playoffs, playing a bunch of good teams, teams that are over .500, it’s good for us. It’s a good test, to go into the playoffs and see where you are. I love it, and I love the way we’ve responded.”
Embiid believes the team’s strong play of late isn’t its endpoint.
“We’ve got a long way to go. I think we can be way better than we’ve been.”
Embiid led the way for the Sixers in their most recent meeting with the Wizards, notching a 48-point, 10-rebound double-double in a 116-111 loss on Dec. 27.
Tyrese Maxey was the Sixers’ leading scorer in the first two games between the teams this season, scoring a combined 60 points in a home-and-home series on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.
Bradley Beal has led the Wizards in scoring this season, averaging 23.4 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis has averaged 23.2 points per game and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game. Washington has dropped four of its last five games.
The Sixers’ home game on Sunday against the Wizards is a 6 p.m. ET start.
Friday’s Top Performances:
De’Anthony Melton
Georges Niang
76ers vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Mar. 10, 2023
1 / 6PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 10: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates after his winning basket with 1.1 seconds remaining defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 120-119 in a game at The Center on March 10, 2023 in Philadelphia.
@Sixers Social:
Quote to Note:
Joel Embiid on playing in Philadelphia…
“It's hard, playing in Philly is not easy. There's a lot of pressure that comes with it. Every year, you're expected to win. Doesn't even matter if they believe that you have a good team or a good enough team to win a championship, that's still the expectation. That's why there's not a lot of people that can play here and survive here.”
Follow Along Sunday (6 p.m. ET):
