NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from the Sixers' Win Over the Wizards

The Philadelphia 76ers seem to get stronger with every passing game. They had just come off of season-high 26-point rout of the New York Knicks and were thirsty for more. Apparently, the ruthlessness hadn't faded away. They dropped 31 points in the first period itself, and led by 68-46 at the break, finishing 123-98.

The 25-point blowout win over the Wizards was one containing many positives for the home team. This was their third consecutive win as they have now won 8 out of their last 10 games. Following this win, Sixers have now solidified their third spot in the East with a 16-8 win-loss record while Wizards slide down to the 10th spot in the same conference with an 8-16.

Let's discuss the three prime takeaways from this dominant Sixers win over the short-handed Wizards.

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#3 TJ McConnell contributed heavily coming off the bench

Coming off the bench, McConnell had not scored more than 6 points in the Sixers' last four games. But this one was a stark contrast to all his recent performances.

For a player who went undrafted in 2015, TJ has been quite impressive. He got 22 minutes of playtime(same as starters Wilson Chandler & Joel Embiid) in this matchup against the Wizards, and shot a fairly noticeable 6-10 from the field.

His defensive tenacity didn't fail him as he managed to pick-pocket Wizards' ball twice in the game, committing three turnovers in the process. The man is averaging less than 5 points on the season, and for him to step up and drop 15 on a team that has one of the best backcourts in Wall & Beal, only goes to show that he is not intimidated by legit competition if the moment calls.

Let's not forget that this man holds the honour of being the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double off the bench, when he recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against the Knicks in February 2018.

Clearly, he can be effective for Philadelphia down the stretch, making the bench even deeper and reliable in times of need.

#2 John Wall's performance was most certainly sub-par

Wall is averaging an impressive 21 ppg this season.

John Wall had one of his worst shooting nights ever playing on an away court or for that matter, any court. He shot 4-15(26%) from the field in the 25 minutes he played, and missed 2 of his 3 shots from downtown.

Although he ended up with 3 steals in the game, the All-Star point guard could only score 11 points, which was too less for the already sinking Wizards.

He averaged 20 points a game across the previous 10 matchups but almost certainly, could not hit the mark when the Wizards visited the Sixers. Playing against an ultra-talented roster like Philadelphia, you would need everybody on your team to step up, let alone just the starters.

As expected, Bradley Beal's lone 19-point effort was in dire need of reinforcements from his fellow point guard, which evidently never arrived. Sadly, this was Wall's second-lowest score of the season and even more so, this was the second instance in the last five games that he had ended up scoring just 11 points.

#1 The Sixers out-hustled and out-rebounded the visitors

The Sixers looked pumped for their 3rd straight win.

Philadelphia looked bloodthirsty from tip-off and it was pretty evident by the way they imposed their will on the Wizards on the boards and in the paint.

Joel Embiid pulled down 15 rebounds(including 5 offensive boards) on his own and finished with a double-double, while Simmons & Muscala combined for 18 of the same. As a collective unit, the Sixers grabbed 17 offensive boards(more than double the Wizards tally of 8), giving themselves multiple second-chance points throughout the game.

They forced 16 turnovers by the Howard-less Wizards, moving faster and clicking better than their opposition.

Wizards coach Scott Brooks admitted his team was caught off-guard by the Sixers' tenacity and ferocious mindset with which they approached this regular season game.

"They outplayed us," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "They're a talented team. You have to have your entire roster to give yourself the best chance. They were making shots, moving much faster than us, they were clicking."