Washington Wizards avoid NBA play-offs first-round sweep as they beat Philadelphia 76ers 122-114 to force a Game 5

In a down-to-the-wire elimination game the Washington Wizards were once again able to extend their season with a 122-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Monday night clash was a scrappy affair, and a fight of will over skill, with both teams shooting below 50 per cent from the field, as the home team Wizards relied on their fans to carry them through.

Injuries were also a factor on both sides; with Russell Westbrook continuing to struggle with the ankle injury he sustained in Game 3, and Joel Embiid exiting the game after just 11 minutes of play after tweaking his knee in an awkward landing.

Ben Simmons defended by Doc Rivers

With Embiid’s status uncertain for Game 5, 76ers Head Coach Doc Rivers fired back at the notion of Ben Simmons needing to save the team in his absence saying: ‘You guys keep this Ben Simmons narrative going. Which is freaking insane. Ben is not a 40-point guy. I just don’t understand why this is not sinking in in this city. If I’m Ben, I’d get tired of it. Celebrate him and all the things he does well.’

Simmons’ struggles at the free throw line were a big factor in the Wizards ability to pull out the win, as they implanted the infamous ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ strategy to exploit his shooting weaknesses. 

The fourth-year guard is having a nightmarish shooting performance from the line this series: shooting the second-to-worst all-time percentage (25 per cent) for a play-off series.

Washington Wizards face a daunting task

Going forward, Washington now faces a daunting task ahead in attempting to beat the odds again and overcome the now 1-3 series deficit.

Reflecting on this Westbrook told reporters: ‘We know it’s win or go home for us from now on and we just gotta take one game at a time. You can’t win four or three games in one night. We just have to win the one and continue to figure it out.’

None of the 141 teams that have fallen into a 0-3 deficit in NBA play-off history have been able to recover the series.

By Josh Musoke