The Sixer Sense
Fansided

RECAP: Philadelphia 76ers 118, Washington Wizards 113

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA,PA - NOVEMBER 29 : Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - NOVEMBER 29 : Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards at Wells Fargo Center on November 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In what was a blowout for most of the game, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to edge out a 118-113 win over a short-handed Washington Wizards team.

This was a blowout that ended with a headache. The Philadelphia 76ers were thoroughly in control for the first three quarters, riding a career night from Ben Simmons and a strong defensive outing from Joel Embiid.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

Jodie Meeks got hot, while Bradley Beal (who returned from a facial contusion suffered earlier in the game) led an unexpected Washington run. That led to the last four minutes, during which the Wizards broke out an irritating — and effective — hack-a-Ben Simmons strategy.

Roughly between the four and two-minute marks, Simmons attempted 24 free throws and was fouled on over 10 straight possessions. That added up to a franchise-record 35 free throw attempts for the team in the fourth quarter, as well as 101 between both teams in the game. Simmons went 15-29 from the line on the night.

BEN SIMMONS. A-. 41 mins | 31 pts | 18 reb | 4 ast | 2 stl | 2 blk | 1 TO | 8-16 FG | 0-1 3PT| 15-29 FT | 3 PF | +11| <strong>Summary</strong>: Aside from the hack-a-Simmons down the stretch, Simmons had one of his better games in a while. He set a new career-high in rebounds with 18, while also — with the help of his free throws — reaching a career-high mark in scoring. He was energetic around the rim, make some nice reads as always and was the team’s most consistent player in a mostly-dominant performance for the Sixers.. PG. Philadelphia 76ers

C. Philadelphia 76ers. JOEL EMBIID. A-. 32 mins | 25 pts | 14 reb | 4 ast | 1 stl | 4 blk | 3 TO | 6-15 FG | 0-0 3PT| 13-18 FT | 6 PF | +3+/-| <strong>Summary</strong>: Embiid had some times where he settled for bad shots, but churned out a strong performance nonetheless. He made a few impressive plays defensively and played an important role down the stretch before fouling out.

Philadelphia 76ers. JERRYD BAYLESS. A-. 26 mins | 14 pts | 1 reb | 4 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 4-7 FG | 0-1 3PT| 6-8 FT | 0 PF | +6+/-| <strong>Summary</strong>: Bayless played a big role in the first half, making some nice cuts to the rim and <a href=. PG

DARIO SARIC. B+. 32 mins | 24 pts | 8 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 8-12 FG | 1-3 3PT| 7-7 FT | 2 PF | +6+/-| <strong>Summary</strong>: Saric came up with a couple of big and-ones down the stretch, and hit the free throws to go along with them. He had a handful of bad mistakes (one late turnover, a couple of defensive miscues) but that’s to be expected. He’s still improving in those respects, and put together one of his most impactful games of the season tonight — with his late-game heroics being the proverbial cherry on top.. PF. Philadelphia 76ers

SF. Philadelphia 76ers. ROBERT COVINGTON. C+. 34 mins | 9 pts | 12 reb | 1 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 3 TO | 4-12 FG | 1-5 3PT| 0-0 FT | 4 PF | +8+/-| <strong>Summary</strong>: Covington had another rough shooting night, but made up for it on the boards and with strong defense. His shooting has regressed pretty hard after his scorching start to the year, but that’s normally what happens. In more ways than one, this is a league of runs — both team-wise and individually.

For the most part, this was a positive showing for the Sixers. They were blowing out a team they’re supposed to beat for three quarters, and got caught on the wrong end of a run late in the game. Hack-a-Simmons is bound to happen more going forward, though, so the Sixers will need to adjust to that possibility.

The Sixers are now 12-8 heading into tomorrow night’s matchup with the league-leading Boston Celtics — a game in which they won’t have Joel Embiid. Despite a road-heavy schedule with a number of high-end opponents, Philly is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and this game was another example of the growth they’ve made.

Next: Unpopular opinion -- LeBron isn't coming to Philly

See you all around the same time tomorrow.