Bradley Beal, Wizards Avoid Elimination with Game 4 Win vs. 76ers; Embiid Injured
Turns out, the Washington Wizards can beat the Philadelphia 76ers.
Washington avoided a first-round sweep with a 122-114 victory in Monday's Game 4 at Capital One Arena. Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook and Rui Hachimura led the way in a balanced effort for the Wizards, who finally defeated the 76ers after losing all three regular-season matchups as well.
A solid showing from Tobias Harris wasn't enough for Philadelphia, but the team still has three more opportunities to win one more game to eliminate Washington.
The bigger concern is Joel Embiid, who left the game in the first half with right knee soreness.
Notable Player Stats
- Russell Westbrook, G, WAS: 19 PTS, 21 REB, 14 AST, 3-of-19 FG
- Bradley Beal, G, WAS: 27 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB
- Rui Hachimura, F, WAS: 20 PTS, 13 REB
- Tobias Harris, F, PHI: 21 PTS, 13 REB, 5 AST
- Ben Simmons, G, PHI: 13 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST
Wizards Fight Through Adversity to Preserve Season
The Wizards already had their backs against the wall coming into Game 4, and things didn't get any easier in the early going.
Beal and Raul Neto each limped off the floor in the first quarter, although they both eventually returned. Westbrook shot an ugly 1-of-10 from the field in the first half, while Alex Len and Daniel Gafford found themselves in immediate foul trouble trying to guard Embiid.
To Washington's credit, it battled through that initial adversity and was down just one point at the half thanks to a strong group effort.
Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet with assists and rebounds, Robin Lopez put on a show with an array of hook shots, and Davis Bertans caught fire from deep while pouring in a team-high 15 points in the first half.
The uphill battle continued in the second half when Bertans was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a right calf strain, but the theme of Washington fighting through continued as it pushed the lead to double digits heading to the fourth.
Gafford swatted seemingly everything in sight while protecting the rim, Hachimura posted a double-double and impressed with a monster dunk and outside jumpers, and Beal started scoring by attacking the lane.
Westbrook also overcame his 3-of-19 shooting woes by getting to the free-throw line and assisted on critical dunks from Gafford and Hachimura as the Wizards closed on a 12-4 run to win.
Seven Wizards in all scored in double figures, and they will have some momentum heading into the next one, where questions remain about Embiid's status.
Embiid Injury Overshadows Poor Performance for 76ers
The 76ers are still in control of the series and have bigger goals than a first-round victory, but there would have been something symbolic about a sweep.
After all, it was last year's sweep to the rival Boston Celtics that kicked off an organizational revamp. Out went head coach Brett Brown and in came head coach Doc Rivers and president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. The team also traded for Seth Curry and Danny Green to add more shooting around Embiid, Ben Simmons and Harris.
So much for the symbolic symmetry.
The outcome of one game took a backseat to Embiid's health when he was ruled out for the remainder after he limped to the locker room with right knee soreness in the first half. Any injury to the four-time All-Star is going to naturally raise concern because of his history and overall importance to the team, especially in a championship-or-bust scenario.
It also didn't help that Simmons was limited for extended stretches because of foul trouble, which resulted in a double-digit deficit entering the fourth quarter even though Harris played well in the early going.
Philadelphia's bench deserves plenty of credit for keeping it within striking distance with the injury and fouls limiting the starting lineup. Furkan Korkmaz, George Hill, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle provided a much-needed spark, especially early in the fourth quarter when the game could have slipped away.
Even with all that, Simmons shot 5-of-11 on the free-throw line with the Wizards intentionally fouling him in crunch time, and Harris scored two points in the fourth quarter. That was just too much to overcome without Embiid on the floor.
What's Next?
The series shifts back to Philadelphia for Game 5 on Wednesday.
