By Adrian Stewart Co
Philadelphia 76ers survived a slow start to score a 125-118 victory over Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference first round playoffs on Sunday (Monday in the Philippines) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Tobias Harris lifted the 76ers offense with 37 points, including 28 in the opening half, Joel Embiid added 30 markers and Seth Curry contributed 15 markers.
Daniel Green and George Hill also finished with 11 markers apiece, while Ben Simmons had double-double 15 rebounds and 15 assists to go along with his six points as Philadelphia took a 1-0 edge in the series.
After a subpar first half offense, the 76ers regained its shooting in the third period via three-point conversions from Harris, Green and Curry for an 88-81 advantage.
The Wizards kept hanging around and were just down 116-121 with over a minute left but free throws from Embiid and Harris sealed the win for the 76ers.
Bradley Beal finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Russell Westbrook added 16 markers, 15 assists and five rebounds for the Wizards.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Suns were triumphant in its first playoff game in 11 years as it scored a 99-90 victory over Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their Western Conference first round series.
Devin Booker top-scored with 34 points, while Deandre Ayton added double-double 21 points and 16 rebounds to lift the Phoenix to a 1-0 edge in the series.
The Suns’ victory, however, was dampened by the injury of veteran point guard Chris Paul, who fell to the floor in obvious pain while holding his right shoulder after being bumped by teammate Cameron Johnson.
The 36-year-old star managed to return but was dribbling mostly with his left hand and missed the only shot he took before halftime. He finished with eight assists, seven points and five rebounds.
BOX SCORE:
PHILADELPHIA 125 – Harris 37, Embiid 30, Curry 15, Green 11, Hill 11, Howard 7, Simmons 6, Milton 5, Maxey 3, Korkmaz 0, Thybulle 0.
WASHINGTON 118 – Beal 33, Westbrook 16, Bertans 14, Len 12, Hachimura 12, Gafford 12, Neto 7, Lopez 6, Smith 6.
Quarterscores: 27-28, 61-62, 99-93, 125-118./ASC, WDJ