Sixers rout Wizards for 3-0 series lead but not celebrating: ‘We’ve done nothing’
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“I didn’t say much after this, except ‘great job,’ ” said Sixers coach Doc Rivers. “We’ve done nothing.”
For the second straight game, the Wizards couldn’t stop the Sixers’ starters, who combined for 100 points on 40-of-62 shooting with a combined plus-minus of +147.
MVP finalist Joel Embiid was the most dominant, tallying a playoff career-high 36 points on 14-for-18 shooting despite only playing 28 minutes. Tobias Harris (20 points, 13 rebounds), Seth Curry (15 points, six assists), Danny Green (15 points, 5-for-9 on 3-pointers) and Ben Simmons (14 points, nine assists) excelled. Each shot at least 50% from the field and went a collective 13-for-22 (59.1%) from 3-point land.
“Danny caught fire, had a lot of great (early) looks,” Simmons said. “Then Seth started getting his shots and (that helped) get Joel open. Joel caught fire and started doing his thing and Tobias started doing his thing. It’s hard to stop everybody.”
“We know who we are as a team,” Curry said. “Our starting lineup has a lot of confidence playing together. We have all year long.”
The Wizards’ starters were 26-of-61 with 71 points and a combined -116.
“I think (our chemistry) is really good,” said Harris, who noted the group’s success begins at the defensive end. “It’s extremely balanced. … That’s a real team playing and figuring out how to be great out there.”
Rivers admitted to being surprised at how well his starters performed.
“You like some of the (starting) matchups and some of the matchups may favor them,” Rivers said. “But overall, I think that group is really clicking together (and) playing together. … I would never have imagined (the starters’ disparity).”
Brooks was hoping Bertans would bolster the Wizards’ 3-point shooting — Washington was 2-for-22 behind the arc in Game 2, with Bertans going 0-for-4 off the bench before fouling out — and create better matchups after the bigger Sixers exploited Washington’s undersized lineup in its first two losses.
It didn’t seem to make much of a difference, as the Sixers accumulated a 14-point halftime advantage (72-58) after also being ahead by 14 (71-57) at intermission of Game 2 en route to a 25-point win.
The Wizards ended up 8-for-35 on 3-pointers Saturday, compared to the Sixers’ 17-of-33 evening. Bertans was 1-for-5 from 3-point range.
Washington guard Russell Westbrook, listed as questionable after injuring his right ankle in the fourth period of Game 2, contributed 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Backcourt mate Bradley Beal chipped in 25 points.
Meanwhile, the confident Sixers’ starters continued to roll, with Embiid insisting they can play even better. That’s a scary thought.
In the short term, though, all that remains is to see how much rest Rivers’ team will have before beginning the second round and if the Wizards can find a way to avoid being swept.
Follow Tom Moore on Twitter @TomMoorePhilly.