The shorthanded Sixers didn't exactly coast to the finish line Wednesday night.
Still, after squandering a fourth-quarter lead, they managed to earn a 109-103 victory over the Wizards at Wells Fargo Center.
Tyrese Maxey led the 15-20 Sixers with 29 points.
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Guerschon Yabusele was excellent in a 21-point, eight-rebound performance.
Washington fell to 6-29 on the season. Wizards guard Jared Butler had a career-high 26 points and seven assists. Corey Kispert added 23 points.
Both teams had extensive injury lists. The Sixers were without six players: Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Paul George (left groin tightness), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), Kyle Lowry (right hip soreness), KJ Martin (left foot stress reaction) and Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery).
The Sixers will face the Pelicans on Friday in Philadelphia. Here are observations on their tense win over Washington.
NBA
Gordon the starter
Before Wednesday, Eric Gordon’s only start this season came on opening night. His return to the starting five went well.
Gordon drained two three-pointers from the left wing in the first quarter and scored eight points on 3-for-3 shooting. He also notched a crisp drive-and-kick assist on the first of Yabusele’s five threes.
It’s been an unequivocally subpar season for Gordon thus far — 37.3 percent from the floor and 29 percent from three-point range going into Wednesday’s game — but he gave the Sixers an effective spot start vs. the Wizards.
Yabusele got another start against a true big man in Jonas Valančiūnas and the Sixers had unsurprising rebounding troubles early. Every one of Washington’s first 10 points was of the second-chance variety.
The Sixers’ effort against Valančiūnas was certainly not the main problem. Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded a big-time block in the first quarter on Valančiūnas, who had vicious intentions as he plowed down the lane and tried to rise for a slam.
Sixers build lead despite Maxey’s 1st-half woes
Using a lineup of Oubre and four bench players late in the first quarter, the Sixers took a 28-12 lead.
Rookie Adem Bona served as the team’s backup center for a second straight game, opposing former Sixer Richaun Holmes. He again had noticeable issues in pick-and-roll coverage, including apparent miscommunications and several plays where he gauged the angles wrong as he tried to toggle between the ball handler and the roller, allowing drivers to reach the paint and score inside.
Bona was better in the second half and high-energy all night. He finished with two points, three blocks, three rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes.
The Sixers were able to grow a lead largely because they crushed Washington in the turnover battle. At one stage, the Sixers had 25 points off turnovers to the Wizards’ three. Caleb Martin (three blocks, one steal) and Oubre (two steals, two blocks) were both productive in the turnover-forcing department Wednesday.
The Sixers needed Yabusele, Martin and Oubre to make significant contributions because their lead guard had minimal success in the first half.
After logging 43 minutes and 54 seconds Monday in the Sixers’ loss to the Suns, Maxey missed all kinds of threes in the first half — tightly contested; wide-open; grazing the front of the rim; around the hoop and out. The All-Star guard went into the halftime locker room 3 for 13 from the field and 1 for 10 from long range. Bilal Coulibaly played good, physical defense on him, but Maxey failed to hit plenty of shots that he’s accustomed to sinking.
Sixers survive down the stretch
Maxey scored a few times inside in the third quarter before drilling a pure wing three.
Between the 6:27 mark and 2:08 mark of the third quarter, Maxey scored 12 points. He also assisted a long Ricky Council IV three on the final play of the third quarter.
The Sixers entered the fourth with a 14-point lead, but the Wizards hung around and then some. Corey Kispert's driving layup cut Washington's deficit to three points. On the Sixers' after-timeout play, they committed a shot clock violation. The Wizards kept on surging and went up 98-96 on a wide-open Kispert three.
Maxey grew increasingly displeased toward the officials, who whistled him for an offensive foul against Kyle Kuzma and missed a goaltending call on Holmes, ruling it a clean block. Shortly after that, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was furious about Kuzma getting away with a double dribble before making a fast-break layup. It was indeed a baffling oversight in a crucial moment.
Maxey tied the game at 103-all with a pair of free throws. He then had a chance to put the Sixers back on top with a 1-on-1 opportunity against Kispert in the middle of the floor, but he missed a mid-range jumper.
Next time down, Maxey didn't settle for anything. With the Wizards' defense on its heels after a Butler miss inside, Maxey drove hard to the rim and made a go-ahead layup with 23.7 seconds.
The Sixers didn't let that lead slip. Though Coulibaly's first step beat Yabusele, the Sixers' Frenchman recovered brilliantly and rejected the 20-year-old forward at the rim. He played a crucial role in the Sixers avoiding the sort of collapse they experienced a week ago against the Kings.
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