Joel Embiid Punishes Wizards on Both Ends As Sixers Record Fifth Straight Win

• Philadelphia cruises past Washington to stretch its winning streak
• Joel Embiid and James Harden combined for 52 points in Sunday’s win
• The Wizards struggled with their perimeter shooting against the Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to five games with a resounding 112-93 victory over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.

Joel Embiid and James Harden led the way for the Sixers, who moved within 1.5 games of the Boston Celtics for second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The top seed is also in play for the surging Sixers, who are just three games behind leaders Milwaukee.

Embiid and Harden strike again

Embiid punished the Wizards’ defense, scoring 34 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out four assists against Washington, per ESPN.

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He shot 12 of 21 from the field and knocked down 10 of his 12 free throw attempts. He also contributed on the defensive end, recording four blocks and one steal.

Harden supported Embiid, posting a double-double with 18 points and 14 assists. They did the bulk of their damage in the first three quarters, with the duo sitting out large portions of the final period with the outcome already beyond doubt.

The Sixers’ defense finally showed up in the game against the Wizards after struggling to contain opponents in their recent outings. They had surrendered 119.2 points a game and 41% from beyond the arc in six games during March before Sunday’s contest.

Wizards’ losing woes continue

It was another disappointing loss for the Wizards, who have dropped five of their last six games. They fell out of a tie for 10th place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the idle Chicago Bulls.

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They struggled to get their outside shot working against the Sixers, missing 20 of their 26 3-point attempts.

Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis were non-factors in this game, scoring just 13 and nine points, respectively. Beal shot 5 of 12 from the field, while Porzingis went 4 of 15 from the floor against Philadelphia.

Embiid’s late basket stuns Portland

Sports Brief recently reported on Philadelphia’s win against Portland.

Embiid was the hero against the Blazers, sinking an incredible game-winner with 1.1 seconds left.

He scored 39 points to help the Sixers overcome a 21-point deficit.