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Washington Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis was throwing his weight around, towering over P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris in the paint and stepping back for easy jumpers. He scored 30 points and grabbed 9 boards in 34 minutes. With Joel Embiid out with the flu, the Philadelphia 76ers employed a small-ball lineup that had no answer for Porzingis.
The 7-foot-3, 240-pounder was unstoppable. He and Bradley Beal combined for 59 points during Washington’s 121-111 victory over Philadelphia. After the game, Porzingis addressed Embiid’s absence and how he had to adjust to the different looks the Sixers threw at him. He wished the Big Fella a quick recovery, too.
“I don’t have to waste all the energy fighting a guy that’s 100 pounds heavier than me so of course it’s better for me,” Porzingis told reporters. “But I have to play against P.J. Tucker or some guard that’s quick, so I have to spend the energy in a different way trying to keep up with the smaller guys.
“Me and Joel, I like playing against him because there are some advantages on his side of course, and then there’s some advantages on my side so that matchup is always interesting, and I hope that he gets back healthy soon.”
Porzingis was joking about the 100-pound weight difference, of course. Embiid is listed at 280, which puts him 40 pounds heavier than Porzingis. His main point still rang true, about expending extra energy to keep up with Philly’s small-ball lineup. Their fast, switching guards kept him guessing all night.
“They have to switch out their style but they are really good also playing this way,” Porzingis said. “Five small guards and they can all run pick and rolls, slip out, they can all shoot, so they’re a good team even without him.”
Sixers Keeping Embiid Away from Team
The Sixers were outscored 68-38 in the paint on Wednesday night. Surprisingly, Washington only collected 11 more rebounds than Philadelphia (43-32). The Sixers have been starting P.J. Tucker at center during Embiid’s two-game absence.
According to head coach Doc Rivers, Embiid has been battling the flu (non-COVID) and doctors have instructed him to stay away from the team.
“I think it’s the right thing because teams used to go on road trips and one guy would get sick and the next thing you know, the whole team eventually got sick,” Rivers said, via Sixers Wire, “and so I think we’re doing the right thing except for your key guys aren’t around sometimes and that hurts you.”
Embiid has been listed questionable for Friday’s home game against the New York Knicks. Ditto for wing Matisse Thybulle (right ankle sprain).
James Harden Out for 1 Month with Foot Injury
All-Star guard James Harden is expected to miss a month after being diagnosed with a right tendon foot sprain. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first person to report the injury. Harden went down hard in the first quarter versus Washington, grimacing in pain and grabbing at his foot underneath the basket.
He also hit the floor in the third quarter after a layup, a fall that sent him into the locker room for a spell. Harden would come back out later in the third and played the entire fourth quarter. He finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists.
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