With star Joel Embiid absent due to injury, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry led the Philadelphia 76ers 129-112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, ending this NBA playoff series 4-1.
The Sixers, who were leaders of the Eastern conference in the regular phase, will face in the second round the winner of the cross between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks, who this Wednesday can also close their ticket.
The Wizards of Bradley Beal, who scored 32 points, and Russell Westbrook, who had 24 points and 10 assists, were unable to take advantage of Embiid having to step aside for a small lateral meniscus tear suffered Monday, which casts a shadow. of doubt about the future of the team.
The Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia was abuzz in the almost full first of the season, with 15,000 fans unwilling to miss out on a second chance to qualify.
Power forward Tobias Harris, a powerhouse for the Sixers in this tie, took the offensive lead with 28 points and 9 rebounds along with an unexpected 30-point contribution from guard Seth Curry.
Australian point guard Ben Simmons also shone with a triple-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
This is the Sixers’ third qualification for the second round of the playoffs in the last four years, but in neither of them did they make it through the tie. (GG) (AFP)