Season opener doesn’t pan out
But Westbrook shines with triple double in his Washington debut
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid scored the go-ahead basket with 1 minute, 9 seconds left and had 29 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 113-107 win over Washington on Wednesday night to spoil Russell Westbrook’s triple-double Wizards’ debut.
Westbrook and Bradley Beal were fantastic in the backourt in the opening-night paring that nearly handed 76ers coach Doc Rivers a loss in his Philadelphia debut.
Westbrook had 21 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds to wow the Wizards after he was acquired in the big deal that sent former cornerstone John Wall to the Houston Rockets. Beal, a two-time All-Star who was second in the league in scoring last season, had 31 points.
The Sixers made their major change on the bench, hiring Rivers to replace Brett Brown and wake up a team that was swept out of the first round of the playoffs last year and help lead the franchise to its first title since 1983.
He has to find a way to make the Embiid-Ben Simmons pairing work — two All-Stars who have yet to get the most of their prodigious talents and have frustrated fans with their flaws.
Embiid and Shake Milton, who scored 19 points off the bench, were the go-to scorers late, and Simmons sealed the win with a monster dunk in the waning moments. Simmons had 16 points — one less than Embiid scored in the fourth.
Tip-ins
Wizards: Israeli teen Deni Avdija started in his NBAdebut for the Wizards. The 19-year-old was the ninth overall pick in the draft and had played for the Tel Aviv Maccabi club in Israel’s Premier League.
“I know he’s only 19 years old but he plays with a passion, plays with a determination that I like,” Brooks said.
When Avdija expressed disappointment he’d debut in front of no fans, Brooks quipped, “Count yourself lucky you don’t have to deal with the Philadelphia fans.”
76ers: Before the game, Rivers said the season opener remained perhaps his favorite night in the NBA.
“I love it. I love my job,” he said. “I swear, the day I don’t is the day I’m out.”