Wizards host 76ers in first game of home back-to-back

The 76ers (20-12) are on the move, visiting the Washington Wizards (13-21) on Tuesday for the second stop on their holiday road trip.

The trip started on the highest of notes, as the Sixers secured their eighth consecutive victory on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden, beating the Knicks (18-16), 119-112, after erasing a 14-point deficit.

“It’s one of those games where you just had to stick around,” James Harden (29 pts, 4 reb, 13 ast, 4 stl) said postgame Sunday. “You stick around, stick around, stick around, and then in the fourth quarter, you give yourselves a chance. They missed some shots, and we came down and executed.”

Tuesday’s meeting with the Wizards marks the third of four meetings between the Sixers and Wizards this season, after splitting the first pair of games during a Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 home-and-home. The visiting team earned a victory in both games.

Kristaps Porzingis was the Wizards’ leading scorer in both matchups, scoring 32 points in the first meeting and 30 in the second. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers in both contests, with a 28-point outing in Washington and a 32-point performance in Philadelphia.

The Wizards have struggled since, but emerged from a 10-game losing streak to win two of their last three games.

Washington’s most recent outing was a 125-111 win at Sacramento on Friday. Kyle Kuzma led the way for the Wizards, tallying 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the win.

Tuesday’s matchup is a 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff.

Sunday’s Key Performances:
Joel Embiid

Embiid finished with a game-high-tying (along with New York’s Julius Randle) 35 points, plus eight rebounds. Embiid shot 12-for-22 from the field in 33 minutes of play.

James Harden

Harden notched a 29-point, 13-assist double-double, plus four rebounds and four steals, converting on five of his 11 3-point attempts and making 10 of his 11 free-throw attempts. Harden finished at a +10 in his 43 minutes played.

De’Anthony Melton

Melton made all five of his first 3-point attempts of the day, ultimately finishing with 15 points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal in 27 minutes of play.

Georges Niang

Niang came up big for the Sixers down the stretch, scoring 12 of his bench-high 16 points in the fourth quarter alone. Niang shot 6-for-11 overall and 4-for-9 from deep. He finished at a game-high +17.