76ers travel to Washington hoping to take 3-0 lead in the first round against the Wizards

After taking the first two games at home, the 76ers are traveling to Washington for game three in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Thse Sixers are fresh off a dominant 120-95 win over the Wizards on Wednesday and hope to close out the series over Memorial Day Weekend.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons both scored 22 points in game two. Bradley Beal has been fantastic for DC, but certainly can’t do it alone as Russell Westbrook has struggled to score. Westbrook left left Game 2 early after tweaking his ankle. His status for for tonight is unknown at this point, but he didn’t practice on Friday.
Meanwhile, Seth Curry is probable with left ankle soreness. Curry had fans worried after he headed to the locker room, not putting weight on his foot and remaining out for the remainder of the game. More good news includes Tobias Harris not being on the injury report after rolling his ankle early during Wednesday’s game.
If the Sixers continue their level of play from the first two games, this series shouldn’t be close. Their defense against the Wizards was suffocating and forced them to shoot just 9% from deep on 22 attempts. Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle led the charge and will be tasked with doing so once again. If Russ is out or limited with his injury, that should also make things much easier for the 76ers.
Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Ben Simmons combined for 63 points in game two. Harris, who exploded in game one for 37 points, followed it up with a 19 point performance in game two in just 23 minutes. With this trio, Rivers has the perfect combination of shooting, transition offense, and buckets in the paint. The Wizards have yet to prove that they can stop the Sixers offense.
Philly’s bench stepped up big time following their game one slump, providing 39 points with Furkan Korkmaz leading with 13 points. Korkmaz’s return to form was much needed for the 76ers, who desperately missed his perimeter shooting.
TEAM | SPREAD | MONEYLINE | TOTALS |
Philadelphia 76ers | -6 (-110) | -235 | o227.5 (-110) |
Washington Wizards | +6 (-110) | +194 | u227.5 (-110) |
Prediction: Sixers -6 (-110)
There are no changes the Sixers need to make for tonight, having played perfect basketball the other night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00, and you can watch on ESPN or NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
[…] 76ers travel to Washington hoping to take 3-0 lead in the first round against the Wizards […]