PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers played host to the depleted Washington Wizards on Wednesday looking to bounce back from a bad loss on Monday to the equally as depleted Denver Nuggets.
The Sixers weren’t going to let two bad games happen in a row. Philadelphia jumped on the Wizards early, and while Washington did have a response in the first half, the overall effort was too much for the younger Wizards to handle. The Sixers walked away with a 131-110 win to bounce back in the win column.
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Tyrese Maxey had 22 points and eight assists for Philadelphia while Joel Embiid had 28 points and seven rebounds, and Paul George had 23 points and five assists. The Sixers also received 11 points and six rebounds from Dominick Barlow while VJ Edgecombe had 13 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and five steals. Quentin Grimes added 16 points and Andre Drummond had 11 and four rebounds.
Here are the player grades following the win:
Tyrese Maxey: A
The Wizards don’t have anybody on their roster who can stop Maxey at the point of attack. He was in the paint early and often and he was knocking down open 3s. There were many opportunities for Maxey to keep the scoreboard moving in this one as he set the tone early. All night long, Maxey was attacking the paint and making things happen either with his scoring or playmaking in order to get the Sixers into a rhythm. He was reliable for Philadelphia all night long in this one.
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VJ Edgecombe: B-plus
The rookie once again had a slow start, but he was terrific on the defensive end as he made his presence felt in that area. He made plays for others with his passing and was able to contribute in a number of areas despite some struggles with his efficiency. He once again was able to contribute on a high level in the second half on the offensive end as he continues to find a way to shake off slow starts. It really is impressive how he does it.
Paul George: A
When the Wizards began the second quarter on a big run, the Sixers inserted George back into the game and the 9-time All-Star helped right the ship a bit. He was helpful in the second as he knocked down some big shots to get the Sixers back on the right track. His 3-point shooting, in particular, was a helpful aspect to this team’s offense. Overall, George had a great night as he was efficient in all areas of his offense whether it was in the mid-range or from beyond the arc. He also got to the line and made a number of plays defensively.
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Dominick Barlow: A
The bouncy forward was huge on the offensive glass. Barlow created a number of extra possessions for the Sixers as the Wizards had a tough time keeping him off the boards. He also had some good defensive possessions. He was helpful on the offensive end in the third quarter as he was moving well without the basketball and knocked down a corner 3 when Washington left him open. He gave this team a big lift in the third.
Joel Embiid: A
Matching up with Wizards big man Alex Sarr, the 2023 MVP winner made it a point early to get to his spots and attack. One has to give Sarr credit because he is a tough defender, but Embiid made it look easy at times as he went to work in the mid-range and in the post against the second-year big. Embiid was efficient with his offense in this one as he went to work in a number of areas. He had a spurt to start the third that really put the Sixers in control as he used his size and strength to finish in the paint.
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Quentin Grimes: C
Grimes hopped off the bench and gave the Sixers a quick bucket, but he then had a couple of bad turnovers and had some struggles on the defensive end of the floor. He also missed some open 3-point attempts that were generated within this offense. He had some impressive finishes at the rim in the second half so Philadelphia will take that, but those finishes came when the game was already in hand.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: Incomplete
Making his return after missing 22 games, Oubre had a tough first stint. He took two shots that weren’t particularly close to going in as he was unable to make an impact on the offensive end. He was tough defensively and grabbed a couple of rebounds, but he was understandably rusty on offense. It was an overall tough night, but he gets cut some slack in this one.
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Jared McCain: F
The initial stint for McCain was a tough one for him. He was unable to find any type of rhythm on offense as he put the ball on the floor and got into the paint, but had a tough time converting. He deserves some slack as he is working his way back from a serious injury, but it really has been a rough go for him as of late.
Adem Bona: F
The initial Bona minutes were tough in this one. The Wizards neutralized him on the glass, so he wasn’t able to make much of an impact in that department, and he was unable to protect the rim or even finish in the paint.
Jabari Walker: Incomplete
The Sixers turned to Walker early and he was unable to do much. He had some defensive struggles in the paint as the Wizards got some easy ones. He appeared to injure himself towards the end of his 4-minute run.
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Andre Drummond: B
After the tough Bona stint, the Sixers turned to Drummond in the second half. He gave the Sixers a presence on the glass and made things happen in the paint for Philadelphia as the veteran was impactful.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Player grades: Tyrese Maxey, Sixers bounce back with win over Wizards
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