Washington Wizards Avoid Elimination With Game 4 Win vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Take Advantage of Joel Embiid's Absence
The Washington Wizards extended their series against the Philadelphia 76ers, 3-1, as they took advantage of the absence of 76ers star Joel Embiid who exited early in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series due to an injury, 122-114.
Philadelphia 76ers' Missing Center of Attraction
The Philadelphia 76ers star big man left the floor after suffering from a knee injury during the first quarter of Game 4 is one of the issues faced by the top-seeded Philadelphia team.
Embiid took a hard fall in the early minutes of the game. He is now expected to get an MRI. According to CBS Sports, Bradley Beal, who continuously performed at a high level throughout the series, got his supporting cast activated.
On the offensive end, the Washington Wizards had seven players in double figures. It includes all of the members of their starting lineup.
Despite the solid performance from Philadelphia 76ers in the first half of Game 4, taking a one-point lead into the break at halftime, Washington showed their resilience. The Wizards took control of the game since the third period started.
Russell Westbrook delivered another triple-double performance with 19 points, 21 rebounds, 14 assists, with 2 steals to secure a win on Monday night's matchup in D.C.
Washington Wizards' supporting cast also showed up in the critical Game 4. Rui Hachimura led the charge with 20 points along with 13 boards to force a Game 5 and keep their playoff run alive.
Meanwhile, Tobias Harris, who took charge of the Philadelphia 76ers squad due to the absence of their scoring machine Joel Embiid, dropped 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. But Harris' performance was not enough to set the 2nd round match up with the winner of the series of Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.
Even the Washington Wizards managed to snatch a win on their home court. The series will shift back to Philadelphia for Game 5, which will be a huge task for the Wizards to climb. The Game 5 matchup is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center.
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Fan Runs Onto Court During 76ers vs. Wizards Game
With 3:40 minutes left in the third period, a fan ran onto the court and jumped up and touched the backboard during the gameplay at Capital One Arena in the middle of a playoff game, ESPN reported.
The fan was at the Washington Wizards' basket before referees noticed the man. The fan was quickly tackled by a security guard and pulled off the floor before being handcuffed by authorities.
The Wizards organization announced that D.C. police are pursuing charges. Also, the fan will be banned from the arena.
The video footage showed that the fan ran at full speed down from the main grandstand past several rows of courtside seats and right onto the floor within a matter of seconds.
The fan did not make any contact with or come close to any player as he headed straight for the basket. It is the latest misbehavior act witnessed in an NBA game.
Over the past week, NBA Playoffs experienced multiple incidents of misbehavior. In Philadelphia, a fan threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook.
In New York, a fan spits on Trae Young. In Utah, fans taunted the family of Ja Morant. While in Boston, a fan was arrested after throwing a bottle of water at Kyrie Irving. All of those who committed the acts got banned from the arenas.
WATCH: Fan Attempts To Run on Court During Wizards-Sixers Game 4 - From Bleacher Report