Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards prediction & match preview - May 31st, 2021 | Game 4, 2021 NBA Playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers have a chance to become the second team after the Bucks to qualify for the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. They take on the Washington Wizards in Game 4 of the first round. The 76ers have been in commanding form on both ends of the court as Joel Embiid produced his highest points in a playoff match in Game 3. He finished with 36 points and eight rebounds and went 14-18 from the field. Tobias Harris had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The Washington Wizards shot less than 40% from the field and converted just eight of their 22 three-pointers. Russell Westbrook registered another triple-double while Daniel Gafford was the most efficient shooter for the Wizards on the night. He converted five of his seven field goal attempts and finished with 16 points and six rebounds.
Match Details
Fixture: Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards | Game 4, 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Date & Time: Monday, May 31st, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Tuesday, 4:30 AM IST).
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia 76ers Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers produced their most dominant performance so far in Game 3. Joel Embiid had a field day as the 76ers made use of their size advantage all over the court. Tobias Harris is in the middle of the best playoff series of his career, while Ben Simmons also had a productive time in Game 3.
Simmons converted seven of his 10 field goal attempts and finished with 14 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The 76ers have a more well-rounded bench and look set to continue their dominant run.
Key Player – Joel Embiid
Embiid produced his most dominant playoff performance and had 36 points. He converted three of his four three-pointers and also had three steals and a block. Embiid found more space to maneuver and was left with a single defender far too many times throughout the game. The Washington Wizards managed to restrict Embiid from the field in the first two games and might resort to multi-teaming him again in Game 4.
Washington Wizards Preview
The Washington Wizards looked well and truly beaten in Game 3 and struggled to get good looks throughout the match. The Philadelphia 76ers defended well on the transition as the Wizards struggled in ball movement and were extremely poor with their shooting. Bradley Beal converted just one of his eight three-pointers and had an overall efficiency of 38.5%.
The Wizards might have been tempted to start Daniel Gafford, their best shooter on the night, who had 16 points and six rebounds in just over 22 minutes. Gafford also converted all four of his free throws, the one area in which the Washington Wizards looked better than the 76ers in Game 3.
Key Player – Russell Westbrook
Westbrook has not had the easiest of times in the series but stacked another triple-double in Game 3. Him and the other Washington Wizards' stars have struggled to get going so far due to the physically dominant defense that they have been up against.
Regardless, Russell Westbrook is also struggling with an ankle injury and did not look at ease. The Washington Wizards will not be happy with the way they have been outplayed by the 76ers so far. They had a positive record against elite teams throughout the regular season. They capped it off with a remarkably strong second half to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Predicted starting 5's
Philadelphia 76ers
Point Guard - Ben Simmons | Shooting Guard - Seth Curry | Small Forward - Danny Green | Power Forward - Tobias Harris | Center - Joel Embiid.
Washington Wizards
Point Guard - Ish Smith | Shooting Guard - Raul Neto | Small Forward - Bradley Beal | Power Forward - Rui Hachimura | Center - Alex Len.
76ers vs Wizards prediction
The Philadelphia 76ers are reaping the rewards of trusting their young stars through a number of seasons, and are almost certain to make it through. Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid have been in prolific form, and strong defensive showings have meant easy wins for the 76ers so far.
The Washington Wizards need an extreme change in fortune in order to make the series more competitive. They go into Game 4 as a comprehensive second-favorite.
Where to watch the 76ers vs Wizards Game 4?
The Philadelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards game can be televised nationally on ESPN. Viewers can also stream the event live online on the NBA League Pass.