The Sixers looked lifeless after losing Joel Embiid in Game 4, unable to respond to the Wizards’ desperation as Washington won their first game of the series to force a Game 5 back in Philadelphia. The news that Embiid had a slight tear in his meniscus and will be day-to-day on Wednesday morning caused a lot of concern about the MVP candidate’s immediate future.
Doc Rivers stated that he didn’t know when Embiid would return, so the Sixers needed to take care of business without him in order to move to the second round. That meant someone had to step up, and sharpshooter Seth Curry did just that in Game 5, leading the Sixers with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting (3-of-6 from three) in a 129-112 victory that advanced them to the second round, where they will likely face the Atlanta Hawks.
Curry’s strong performance allowed the Sixers’ two healthy talents, Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons, to shine in the last game. The Sixers advanced to the second round thanks to Harris’ 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals, as well as Simmons’ 19 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds, and two blocks.
On the other hand, the Wizards simply lacked the firepower to overcome their defensive inadequacies, especially without their top three-point threat, Davis Bertans, who was hurt. Bradley Beal led all scorers with 32 points, while Russell Westbrook contributed 24 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, but neither player was particularly efficient, and only Rui Hachimura (21 points) came close to matching them.
In the end, the Sixers used their depth to overpower the Wizards, led by Curry but also including Tyrese Maxey (13 points, six rebounds) and Dwight Howard (12 points, eight rebounds).
They will now rest up for the second round, with the hope that Embiid will be able to join them sooner than later against a much different test in the form of the Atlanta Hawks. The good news is that Game 5 offered a glimpse at how they can operate successfully on both ends of the floor without Embiid, giving some confidence that they could possibly withstand a brief absence from their big man — particularly Curry showing an ability to create shots off the dribble and not just as a spot-up threat. Still, so much of this year’s playoff run is dependent on Embiid’s health for Philly, and that remains a nervy wait-and-see situation.
