Behind Embiid's 38, Sixers survive Beal's record night, pesky Wizards

Even after an offseason replete with movement at every level—sweeping roster changes, new coaching hires, front office reshuffling—there remains one constant, unassailable truth for the Philadelphia 76ers:

Joel Embiid is everything to this team.

On a Wednesday night when his teammates nearly found a way to choke away a 21-point third quarter lead, the big man was there to seal the Sixers fifth consecutive victory, a 141-136 triumph over the plucky Washington Wizards. The win moved Philadelphia to an NBA-best 7-1.

Embiid scored or assisted on each of the Sixers final 17 points. He finished with 38 points and eight rebounds in his 36 minutes, and made multiple significant defensive plays not limited to his three blocks and steals each. He also collected five assists, though he did match that total in turnovers.

For the majority of the game, it did not appear that he would need to post that massive stat line. After the Wizards took a 13-12 lead on a Russell Westbrook jumper midway through the first quarter, Seth Curry responded with a pull-up 3-pointer to put the Sixers ahead by two, and the Sixers began to pour it on. Philadelphia surged to an 82-67 halftime advantage following a franchise record 49-point second quarter.

The 3-point make was one of six in the contest for Curry, who finished with a season-high 28 points, continuing the hot start to his Sixers tenure. The strong 3-point shooting was contagious as Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green all buried at least three triples each. As a team, the Sixers made 18 of their 29 attempts, a scorching 62.1%.

For the third straight game, every member of the starting five finished with double-figures in scoring. Shake Milton poured in 19 off the bench. Overall, Philadelphia shot 61.7% from the field.

Washington, driven by its dynamic backcourt of Westbrook and Bradley Beal, refused to quit, chipping away at a lead that once stood at 98-77. Beal supplied a career-high 60 points, matching the Wizards franchise single-game scoring record, including an incredible 57 through the first three quarters. Westbrook added 20 points and 12 assists.

Embiid sat with just under 3 minutes left in the third with his Sixers leading 110-93, which proved to be a significant turning point. The Wizards ripped off a 22-7 run, reducing the lead to two points by the time the starting center checked back in with ten minutes remaining.

Washington briefly pulled ahead 119-117 following back-to-back buckets from former Sixer point guards Ish Smith and Raul Neto. The next few minutes became frenzied seesaw, with both teams trading scores until Ben Simmons found a cutting Joel Embiid for a layup with his 12th assist of the game, giving Philadelphia the lead for good at 133-131.

As it has been through every rendition of the Sixers since he first stepped on the court, it all came back to Joel Embiid. It always does.

Philadelphia will travel to Brooklyn to play the Nets for their first meeting of the season tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn will be without Kevin Durant, who is facing a 7-day quarantine after being exposed to an individual who tested positive for COVID-19. Durant leads the Nets in scoring at 28.2 points per game.