The Philadelphia 76ers are the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time in 20 years. Their opponent in the first round is the Washington Wizards, who bested the Indiana Pacers in the play-in tournament to secure the East's eighth seed. The matchup is the first time that the two teams have faced off against each other in the postseason since 1986 when the Sixers bested the Wizards in five games in the first round.
The Sixers dominated the regular season series between the teams, as they won all three games that were played. The Wizards have been playing much better ball since the All-Star break though, and in Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook, they have two stars capable of taking over any given game. So, the series won't necessarily be a cakewalk for Philadelphia, despite the fact that they will be heavily favored. Ultimately though, if the Sixers take care of business and play the way that they have been all season, they should be able to advance.
Here's a look at the series schedule and three things to know ahead of the series between the Sixers and Wizards.
Today’s Wizards vs 76ers live stream has a #1-seeded 76ers taking on a Wizards team that grabbed the 8th playoff seed in the East through the NBA’s play-in tournament. If Washington is going to keep the good vibes going, they need their two stars on top of their game in this NBA playoffs live stream.
Following their first play-in game against the Celtics, Russell Westbrook walked off the court in Boston with his head hanging low. He knew there was a lot of work to be done in a short time if they wanted to clinch the East’s 8th and final playoff spot. Mission accomplished. Westbrook and the Wizards righted the ship as they dominated the Pacers 142-115 Friday night.
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Bradley Beal netted 25 points in the win, while Westbrook scored 18 points with 15 assists. The good news for the Wizards is that they make the playoffs, while the bad news is they have to play the 76ers.
The 76ers have been a team of potential for a few years now, but new coach Doc Rivers has them realizing that potential. Not only are they the East’s top seed, but they also have a few players eyeing individual accolades. 76ers’ center Joel Embiid is an MVP Finalist, while Ben Simmons is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. Tobias Harris has been a solid member of Philly’s own “Big 3” as he raised his three-point percentage to nearly 40% this season, something he hasn’t done since he last played for Rivers with the Clippers.
While Rivers has orchestrated the talent brilliantly this season, new executive Daryl Morey has done a great job of acquiring it. Morey traded for starters Seth Curry and Danny Green and added Dwight Howard to be the perfect back-up center to the oft-injured Embiid.
The 76ers swept their season series with the Wizards 3-0. They host game one as 7.5-point favorites. The over/under is 228.5.