WASHINGTON — The Sixers snapped their skid and enjoyed a win Wednesday night in their road finale.
The team ended its 12-game losing streak by earning a 122-103 victory over the Wizards at Capital One Arena.
Jeff Dowtin Jr. scored a career-high 30 points and Lonnie Walker IV added 24.
The 17-63 Wizards’ top scorer was Tristan Vukcevic with 24 points.
Justin Edwards (rib contusion) remained among the Sixers’ injured players. Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain) was officially ruled out for the season before the game. Alex Reese exited in the fourth quarter with a right Achilles tendon strain and did not return.
The 24-56 Sixers will host the Hawks on Friday night. Here are observations on their win over the Wizards:
Bona strong vs. Sarr
The Sixers started nicely, taking a 10-2 lead with two Walker three-pointers sandwiched between a pair of Adem Bona dunks.
Bona was eager to do damage in transition and gave the Sixers an ultra-athletic, high-leaping pick-and-roll threat. The rookie big man finished the first quarter with nine points on 4-for-4 shooting.
He was also good defensively against No. 1 overall pick Alex Sarr, tightly contesting shots without fouling. Bona does have a habit of cutting it very close on goaltends, but the Sixers definitely don’t mind his hunger for blocks.
He picked up two more rejections Wednesday, extending his run of consecutive games with at least one block to 14.
Dowtin lights it up
The Sixers’ usual go-to guy late this season was ice-cold in the first half. At intermission, Quentin Grimes was 0 for 10 from the field.
With Grimes sitting, the Sixers’ second unit played well early in the second quarter. Dowtin got his first NBA action since the Sixers’ March 26 loss to the Wizards and served as the backup point guard. The Sixers’ other subs were Ricky Council IV, Reese and Colin Castleton.
Dowtin was the standout, tallying 11 points in the second quarter. He looked to be coasting to 13, but Dowtin somehow missed a completely uncontested layup after sneakily swiping a steal from Sarr.
That play was a blip for Dowtin, who kept on rolling in the third quarter, He exploded for 11 points in a span of 85 seconds, capping his flurry by draining a deep, heat-check three. The Wizards called timeout and Dowtin grinned on his way back to the Sixers’ celebrating bench.
Finally tasting victory again
Seeking their first win in over three weeks, the Sixers entered the fourth quarter with an 89-79 edge.
They played decent zone defense early in the fourth and continued to run much of their offense through Dowtin. The 27-year-old reached his new career high by knocking down a confident baseline jumper.
Walker also scored steadily. Fifty-three points over his last two games is not shabby at all for a player looking to prove that he deserves a stable spot in the NBA.
In the end, the Sixers didn’t have to conquer any late-game obstacles. They pulled away from the Wizards and, for the first time in a long time, were decisively better than their opponent. The team’s nightmarish season won’t end with a 15-game losing streak.
Read the full article here