Sixers

3 Observations: Maxey’s Scoring, Bona’s Defense Lead 76ers to Comeback OT Win Over Wizards

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Matt Gregan
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Matt Gregan Sports Editor

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Published28 Oct 2025

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Adem Bona 10/28/25

The Philadelphia 76ers, despite being down by 19 points in the second half, battled back to defeat the Washington Wizards 139-134 in overtime on Tuesday night.

Tyrese Maxey finished with 39 points, three rebounds and 10 assists. Joel Embiid totaled 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Quentin Grimes added 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks off the bench.

Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Jared McCain (right thumb surgery recovery) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration) are all out of the lineup for the Sixers.

Alex Sarr finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks for the Wizards. Kyshawn George added 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Bilal Coulibaly (right hand surgery) and Malaki Branham (coach’s decision) were unavailable for Washington.

The Sixers, sitting at 4-0, have a few days off before they take on the Boston Celtics on Friday night in Philadelphia. Here are three observations from the comeback win over the Wizards:

Sixers’ Guard Trio Continues to Produce at High Level

Maxey came into this game having scored a ridiculous 111 points over the first three games of the season. The Sixers might have been playing on the second half of a back-to-back, but there was no lack of energy or production from Maxey. The Wizards made the mistake of going under on screens against Maxey, giving him enough space to get his jumper off. The 24-year old has been shooting the lights out to begin the season. He scored 12 points, including making three of his four attempts from long distance, in the first quarter.

After leaning on his jumper early on, Maxey transitioned to using his speed to get downhill and attack the basket. Despite Washington’s best efforts at throwing double teams to force the ball out of his hands, Maxey continued to find ways to put the ball in the basket. Maxey talked a lot throughout media day and training camp about setting a standard. With the way he has started the season, Maxey is poised to do just that and much more.

The Sixers’ trio of young guards, led by Maxey, continued to produce against Washington. V.J. Edgecombe went through his share of struggles against the Wizards, but he continued to battle and fill up the stat sheet. The No. 3 overall pick knocked down multiple 3-pointers, including a pair of ones while getting fouled. His success and willingness to shoot from beyond the arc has been one of the most surprising pieces of his excellent start to the year.

Grimes also continued to come up big for the Sixers when it matters most. His production in the final two quarters, whether it be through his jumper or willingness to play scrappy defense, was crucial to helping the Sixers overcome a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit. For the second time this season, Grimes knocked down a clutch shot. He drilled the game-winning 3-pointer against the Hornets on Saturday and connected on a 3-pointer to tie the game inside the final minute of regulation.

Embiid’s Mixed Bag Performance

With each passing game, Embiid is beginning to look closer to his normal self offensively. He did a bit of everything against the Wizards, from spacing the floor to spreading the ball around. The two-man game between Maxey and Embiid was humming early on.

In addition to knocking down a handful of 3-pointers, Embiid also dipped into further into his offensive arsenal. He attacked the interior of Washington’s defense through a mixture of post play and drives to the basket. Despite continuing to be on a minutes restriction, Embiid put together his second consecutive game with 20-plus points.

Unfortunately, Embiid looked largely non-existent defensively. The Wizards, it became clear early on, had no fear of attacking Embiid in the paint. Sarr, the Wizards’ second-year center, went to work battling Embiid, attacking him relentlessly in the post and around the basket. Washington also found a lot of success attacking Embiid in the pick-and-roll. Embiid’s lack of explosiveness is showing up defensively, particularly through his inability or unwillingness to contest shots around the rim. This version of Embiid, while playing well offensively, is a far cry from the defensive menace he was in the past.

The Sixers as a team struggled defensively for nearly the entire game, but they battled and kept the contest within striking distance. Adem Bona made a handful of spectacular plays on both ends of the floor. He became a block machine, locking down the paint and playing a pivotal role anchoring the Sixers’ defense.

Bona also made the game-winning dunk in perfect Bona fashion. After a Maxey missed floater, Bona crashed the glass and made a put-back dunk.

Bona’s final line – two points, five rebounds and five blocks in 17 minutes – do not accurately portray the impact he had on this game. Without Bona’s play late in the game, the Sixers do not come away with the win.

Sixers Embrace Small-Ball Lineup

With George and Barlow both out of the lineup, the Sixers elected to embrace a small-ball lineup. Justin Edwards received the start at small forward with Kelly Oubre Jr. sliding up to power forward. Oubre made all the right plays for the Sixers, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds. His offensive production is going to be up-and-down, but he should continue to play a big role in the rotation for as long as he continues putting in the effort crashing the glass.

Trendon Watford made his Sixers debut, and it did not take long to see the way the team plans on using him. He got off to a bumpy start, committing a turnover on his first touch of the game. However, he then settled in and his versatility shined through. Watford is an excellent playmaker, particularly for someone his size. The Sixers spent some time running their offense through Watford, using him as the pick-and-roll ball handler and getting the ball to him in transition. He finished with two points, four rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes off the bench.