The Sixers came out from the half ready to take the lead and were able cut it 4 in the 3rd, but the Wizard's hot shooting from downtown preserved their hold on the game. Carter-Williams and Turner looked much better in the 2nd half but John Wall was there to counter them. The Sixers remained in a double-digit hole for the rest of the game as the Wizards' continued to hit their three-pointers. The Sixers would lose 116-102 for their 2nd straight loss, both at home.
Philadelphia lost this game in the 1st quarter. Ignoring the 1st, the rest of the game was extremely close (Washington 77, Philadelphia 75). They allowed entirely too many points in the first quarter and had too many turnover with 21. The 76ers shot much better in the second half from the floor but did not capitalize at the line only making 18 of 26 attempts. The good sign in that is that they are getting to the foul line much better than last season. The Wizards three-point shooting made a huge difference in this game as they hit 18 shots from beyond the arc on an amazing 54.5%. The Sixers were unable to do the same only hitting 6 of 18. Washington's bench contributed a nice chunk of scoring, adding 29 points (14 from Martell Webster).
John Wall and Evan Turner, the top 2 picks of the 2010 draft, led their teams each with 24 points. Turner also collected 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Philadelphia. Spencer Hawes had a solid game scoring 23 while grabbing 13 boards, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. MCW played much better in the second half finishing with 19 points and 7 assists and James Anderson added 13 points. Thad Young continued his struggles, shooting 3 of 11 for a grand total of 7 points. I expected much more from the veteran forward. Beal had a nice game for the Wizards, scoring 17 and dishing out 8 assists. Gortat contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards.
Its still early in the season but the Sixers need to recapture the fire they showed against the Heat, where they took control of the game early. They've fallen behind in their losses to the Warriors and Wizards and have been unable to make a comeback like they did against Chicago. MCW appears to be cooling off but is still making a great contribution in his first few NBA games. We may just be spoiled by his performances against the Heat and Bulls. The Sixers will have a chance to break out of this slump against Kyrie Irving and the Cavs on Friday.
By: Matt Ryan
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