After a close first half of basketball, the 76ers blew the doors off of the Wizards in the third quarter. Joel Embiid and the Sixers ended the third quarter on a 26-9 run, giving them a lead that they would refuse to concede for the remainder of the game. In resulted in a 117-96 victory for the Sixers, who moved a game above .500 on the season with a record of 17-16.

Following the disappointing losses to Miami and Atlanta, this win felt like it meant a little bit more, and hopefully puts the Sixers back on track as they have two more games in 2021, both on the road.

Joel Embiid

Last night was Joel Embiid’s 68th career game with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds, and a game where he also scored his 7,000th career point. Embiid dominated in such a way that he got Montrezl Harrell ejected from the game because he got emotional over a small scuffle, and made Daniel Gafford look like he wanted to quit basketball.

Embiid’s presence on both sides of the ball causes opposing defenses to flounder and look for alternative ways to stop him, and unfortunately for Washington there was no answer tonight.

Tobias Harris

This was a very solid Tobias Harris game, he scored 23 points on an efficient 10/16 from the floor. He still passes up too many three point shots, but it looks like Harris is starting to find his confidence again. He did a little bit of everything, most importantly finding his way to his spots and scoring at a high level.

When things are working for Harris, he is able to carry the offensive load for the second unit and gives the Sixers a much better chance at maintaining or extending their lead in those minutes. Here’s to hoping he can find consistency with these performances.

Furkan Korkmaz

After a miserable month or so, Furkan Korkmaz finally found his footing tonight. He scored 14 points, which isn’t anything crazy but he was the third leading scorer for the Sixers and looked to have a bit of his swagger back.

Korkmaz’s scoring is almost a luxury when it happens, but it’s always a burden when he isn’t able to put the ball in the hoop, so it was a welcomed sight for all Sixers fans to see him get it going tonight.

Up Next

I know it sounds hasty to classify this game as a must win, but it was definitely a much needed victory.

The Sixers continue this road trip through the rest of the calendar year and they make stops in Toronto and Brooklyn before the New Year.

Mandatory Credit: NBC Sports Philadelphia