Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - May 26th, 2021 | Game 2, 2021 NBA Playoffs
The Philadelphia 76ers produced a convincing win against the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs 2021. Joel Embiid recovered from a shaky start after picking up three fouls in the first ten minutes while Ben Simmons was at his best defensively. Tobias Harris produced his highest-ever points total in an NBA Playoffs game. He finished with 37, of which 28 came in the first half.
Bradley Beal top-scored for the Washington Wizards with 33 points and had 10 rebounds while Russell Westbrook had a poor shooting night. Westbrook went 7 out of 17 from the field and finished with 16 points and 14 assists. The Washington Wizards converted just eight of their 20 three-point attempts and could not hurt the Philadelphia 76ers in transition. Davis Bertans came off the bench to score 14 points and made 4 of his 8 three-point attempts.
Washington Wizards Injury Report
The Washington Wizards’ biggest concern was that their star man Bradley Beal was not at 100%. However, Beal produced a spirited performance in Game 1 and is confirmed to be fit for the next match. Deni Avdija suffered an ankle injury towards the end of April and is out for the season, as is Thomas Bryant, who has been injured since January and will return next season.
Philadelphia 76ers Injury Report
The Philadelphia 76ers also had multiple injury concerns towards the end of their regular season. However, Seth Curry started Game 1 and looked in decent touch, while Joel Embiid was also close to his best in the second half of the match. The Philadelphia 76ers have all of their stars available for Game 2 against the Washington Wizards.
Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers: Predicted Lineups
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards will be looking for an improved all-round shooting performance. Russell Westbrook's mixed night meant the Wizards struggled to keep up with the Philadelphia 76ers offense. The Sixers defended well on the perimeter and the Wizards could not match their intensity down the stretch.
The Washington Wizards might stick with the same lineup, with Westbrook seemingly holding the key to their hopes of qualifying for the next round. Daniel Gafford had an effective cameo while Davis Bertans might get additional minutes considering how lethal he proved from distance in the last game.
Philadelphia 76ers
For the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons and Shake Milton had poor shooting nights in Game 1. Embiid started slowly, but took control in the second half and finished with a shooting efficiency of nearly 57%. They are also expected to stick to the same lineup.
The Philadelphia 76ers saw standout performances from the bench, with George Hill producing 11 points and Dwight Howard finished with 7. Matisse Thybulle did an excellent job defensively and had 2 blocks and 2 steals in less than 14 minutes.
Washington Wizards vs Philadelphia 76ers: Predicted Starting 5s
Washington Wizards
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Raul Neto | Small Forward - Bradley Beal | Power Forward - Rui Hachimura | Center - Alex Len
Philadelphia 76ers
Point Guard - Ben Simmons | Shooting Guard - Seth Curry | Small Forward - Danny Green | Power Forward - Tobias Harris | Center - Joel Embiid