Playoff Bell Ringer: Sixers seize 3-0 series lead with 132-103 win over Wizards

Note: There is no traditional recap post for tonight’s game.

Sixers Bell Ringer playoff standings:

Tobias Harris - 1
Ben Simmons - 1

Different city, same story for the Sixers, who coasted to 132-103 victory over Washington Saturday night to take a 3-0 series lead. Philadelphia shot a sparkling 17-of-33 (51.5 percent) from behind the arc, rubbing salt into the wound of a Wizards team that just has zero defensive answers for this Sixers starting unit. The Sixers held at least a double-digit lead from around one minute into the second half on, and it was yet another early night for the starters. With the way the Wizards looked to roll over later in the game, Philadelphia could be very well-rested heading into the second round. Monday night’s Game 4 seems primed for a sweep. Here are your Bell Ringer candidates:

Joel Embiid: 36 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers

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Through a combination of foul trouble and letting his teammates cook, Joel Embiid didn’t have a signature performance through the first two games. That reality changed tonight, as Joel dropped a playoff career-high 36 points, shooting 14-of-18 from the field. Embiid’s hot outside shooting this series continued, with his going 3-of-4 behind the arc. He also took advantage of plenty of single coverage by the Wizards, bullying the Wizards’ three-headed center rotation into submission and also playing some mind games out there. On one play, Robin Lopez bit harder than a mastiff on a JoJo pump fake, with Embiid driving by for a lay-up. Daniel Gafford was fooled in a similar fashion not much later, as Joel stormed down the lane and unleashed the hammer dunk. It was nearly identical to a dunk Embiid had just missed, much to the delight of the Washington crowd. So, naturally, Joel wanted to know what the arena thought when the dunk didn’t clang off back-iron. What could Joel do against this Washington team in a full 36 or so minutes? We may never know.

Ben Simmons: 14 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

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The blowout kept Ben from getting one more assist and a double-double, but Simmons still found the time to rack up five more 3-point assists. While his free-throw struggles persisted (0-of-3), Simmons carried over his aggressive scoring in Game 2 right from the opening tip, scoring the game’s first points off a nice cut and feed from Seth Curry. The All-Star charged forward in transition for a couple buckets, while capitalizing upon one of the Sixers’ many edges in size when Russell Westbrook was trying to body up Ben in the lane. 7-of-10 from the field should keep the scoring condemnation at bay for another couple days in what is shaping up to be an excellent postseason thus far for the Sixers point guard.

Danny Green: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers

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The man once called Icy Hot was definitely trending toward the warmer end of the spectrum tonight, finishing 5-of-9 from downtown. Green particularly caught fire in the second quarter, making four of his 3s in the frame. Danny found himself on such a hot streak that he pushed the pace off a defensive rebound and let it fly from 27 feet with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. It barely caught backboard and Green had to laugh. It’s nice that the Sixers have found themselves in a position where they can laugh about such things in the playoffs.

Tobias Harris: 20 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 turnovers

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Tobi had one of the quieter 20-13-5 performances you’ll come across in the postseason, as his steady effort was perhaps overshadowed by some of the flashier performances. Tobi pulled his best Ben impression with four assists on 3-pointers, and added a picture-perfect oop to Dwight Howard. When he was hunting his own shots, Harris knocked down two of his three 3-point attempts, and once again took advantage of size mismatches when Bradley Beal or Ish Smith were caught on the forward. Tobias can basically get whatever and wherever he wants against this Wizards roster in what’s an ideal matchup for him.

Seth Curry: 15 points, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

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Seth wasn’t a sure thing for this game after hurting his ankle in Game 2, but he didn’t look any worse for wear in putting together a strong 6-of-11 outing from the floor. Curry shot 3-of-6 behind the arc, with another jumper in the corner coming with his foot on the line. His high-arcing floater late in the third quarter was one of the final nails in the coffin. All in all, good to know Seth is still ready to roll as the only Curry brother playing postseason basketball.