Simmons leads 76ers to win over Washington

Star point-forward scores 31 points, grabs career-high 18 boards in win

PHILADELPHIA » Ben Simmons scored 31 points, grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds and overcame the Hack-a-Shaq strategy, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-113 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Joel Embiid had 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Dario Saric added 24 points to help the Sixers (12-8) win for the sixth time in eight games.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 22 points and Bradley Beal and Jodie Meeks each had 21 for the Wizards (11-10), who have lost five of seven.

Washington nearly overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter and spent the final five minutes intentionally fouling Simmons, who entered the game shooting 56.6 percent from the line. He went 15 for 29.

The Wizards cut the deficit to 14 when Meeks hit consecutive 3-pointers. It was 96-88 when Washington began to send Simmons to the foul line. He missed four of eight free throws as Philadelphia’s lead dwindled to 100-97 with 3:35 to go.

After Simmons made one and missed one, Embiid grabbed the rebound and got fouled. He made one of two. Beals then missed a jumper and Simmons again went to the line and made both, extending the lead to 104-97.

But Beals answered with a 3 before Simmons made two more free throws. Simmons then made one and missed one and Embiid fouled out, sending Beal to the line for three. He made all three.

Tomas Satoransky’s short jumper trimmed Philadelphia’s lead to 116-113 with 11.4 seconds left, but Jerryd Bayless iced it at the foul line.

Already playing without injured star John Wall, the Wizards lost Beal for the rest of the first half when he took a shot to the face from Bayless on a layup and sustained a bruise. He returned in the third quarter

Embiid blocked two shots in a six-second span in the first half. He also swatted Tim Frazier’s shot to start a fast break, took a pass from Simmons and threw down a dunk. Saric made the highlight reel by flipping a behind-the-back pass to Robert Covington driving for a layup a few minutes in.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance and posed for pictures with fans in the third quarter as he walked through the crowd. One fan yelled: “Take the NFL job.”

TIP-INS

76ERS » Point guard T.J. McConnell exited the game with a bruised left shoulder. WIZARDS » Wall missed his third straight game with a sore left knee.

UP NEXT

76ERS » Visit the Boston Celtics on Thursday. WIZARDS » Host the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

MATT SLOCUM — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Wizards’ Ian Mahinmi, left, tries to get a shot past Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 118-113.