The Sixers got a much-needed laugher against a depleted (and tanking) Wizards team.
Dec 3, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC
A win the minutes police can be happy about (not that they’re wrong, though).
The Sixers blew out a depleted Washington Wizards group 121-102, a team that already looks quite depleted at full strength.
Looking to erase his mistake against Atlanta, Tyrese Maxey went for a game-high 35 points, on a scorching 13-of-26 night from the field, also putting up four boards, six assists and four steals. He played 28:49, able to sit for the fourth quarter. Paul George also got the night off early, having 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting with five boards in 17 minutes.
Jared McCain came off the bench for 14 points shooting 6-of-11 from the floor. VJ Edgecombe did everything well but shoot, finishing with nine points shooting 4-of-10 from the floor while grabbing six rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks.
Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Quentin Grimes (calf), were out along with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford. On the second night of a back-to-back, Washington was without five players headlined by Khris Middleton and Alex Sarr.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
* This game started out unsurprisingly laid back, with the Sixers opening the game with a ton of pull-up jumpers. The trio of Maxey, Edgecombe and George all started the game 1-of-3 with only one of them being assisted. George’s first shift was shorter than his previous two games, playing only a four and a half minutes.
* It still didn’t look super pretty, but the Sixers started to get some consistent offense with Maxey going downhill. He came into the game shooting 10-of-40 on threes since he had that shoulder issue a week ago vs. Miami. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, almost all of the damage he’s done offensively since that has been attacking the basket.
* The offense was actually able to get rolling with Maxey on the bench as well. McCain was able to get to the hoop a couple times as well as knocking down one from the corner. On another drive, he found Justin Edwards, who had really been struggling but he got a couple to fall himself. George returned and got a couple jumpers to fall to finish with an eight-point quarter. The Wizards closed the quarter almost as strong, ripping off seven points in a minute to make a three-point Sixers’ lead after one.
* They kept rolling into the second. The Wizards were now selling out more to stop drives which left Andre Drummond open for dump offs a few times. Edwards continued to see shots go down that he badly needed. It was the usual suspects keeping the game close. The Sixers were lucky to have only given up seven second-chance points on the first nine offensive rebounds they allowed.
* The offense got into such a groove though they eventually got a stretch they could extend their lead in. Even Jabari Walker knocked down two from the corner as they continued to be able to drive and kick out to open shooters.
* Edgecombe was finally able to complete one of those dunks where the lane opens up and you can see his eyes light up. CJ McCollum eventually made a business decision so it wasn’t quite the poster he’s been hunting, but still a ferocious jam. He made his first midrange pull-up on the night which was a good sight, but his second one fading away didn’t go. It was also good to see him in charge of running the offense with Maxey on the bench, though McCain overshadowed him in terms of production. Not only did he put up 11 in the first half but he dished out four assists, helping the Sixers take a 12-point lead into the break.
* The dreaded third quarter reared its ugly head again as it took the Sixers three and a half minutes to score their first points of it, despite Dominick Barlow also trying to dunk a Wizard through the hoop. Once their shots started to fall again the dirty work plays Edgecombe was making became easier to appreciate. He had a sequence where he popped a steal free, ran all the way across the court to secure it before McCollum to set up a possession. He then saved that possession by rebounding George’s missed three before dishing to Barlow for a basket.
* Those type of dirty work plays are typically where Barlow’s impact is seen, but he had some helpful moments putting the ball in the hoop as well. He had a couple nice drives in the quarter, one of which he was able to finish with that dunk. He was the third/only other starter of the evening to reach double digit points after Maxey and George.
* The competition should definitely be considered, but the Sixers did a really good job of getting their hands into passing lanes. That doesn’t always translate to steals, but it did this time as they had six in the third. The amount of transition opportunities helped Maxey control the game, and he was already in a groove and trying to do as much as possible to ensure he didn’t have to come back to play the fourth. In doing so he helped the Sixers take a 24-point lead into the final frame.
* There was no better sight for Sixers fans than seeing Maxey, the league’s leader in minutes, on the bench to start the quarter. The buckets Edgecombe started the quarter off with were also a nice sight. He hung in the air to hit an impressive one-handed floater, and knocked down a three a few possessions later.
* This was truly a get-right game in every sense as Cam Whitmore was nice enough to brick a pair of free throws and give everyone free chicken nuggets. It didn’t take long for the entire bench to see the floor, including Hunter Sallis and Johni Broome. This was the type of performance the Sixers needed against one of the worst teams in the league, who also happened to play in a different time zone the night before.
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