Rivers convinced best is still to come for his 7-1 team

PHILADELPHIA » The Sixers put up 82 points against the Washington Wizards in the first half Wednesday. Given his pregame disposition, it was likely that Doc Rivers was concerned about the second.

“I’m an optimist, but I don’t want to say that we’re close to being what we can be,” Rivers said. “I think there’s more than one level. And I think we have a lot of levels to go. We have a lot of growth and execution to go.

“This is the beginning of us. But the finished product is going to be so much better.”

The finished product, Wednesday at least, was a 141-136 victory. But that included a 69-point Washington second half, and a 60-point night from eternal Sixers tormentor Bradley Beal.

To Rivers, that left a bit of concern as his team headed to Brooklyn for a Thursday game.

“We just let up,” Rivers said. “I thought we were playing a terrific game. They are second in the league offensively, and I thought we were doing terrific. Our second unit has been great for us. Today, they were not.”

With Beal scoring 25 in the third quarter, the Wizards gave the Sixers a challenge. But as they have early under Rivers, the Sixers played unselfishly and defended when necessary after Washington rallied to force a tie at 124.

“I don’t know what we are doing better, per se, but guys are definitely engaged and kind of playing a little different,” said Shake Milton, who shot 6-for-9, including 3-for-6 from the arc, for 19 points. “Guys are scrambling. Guys are helping out one another. It kind of seems like everybody has each other’s back.”

That will become even more necessary soon, with challenges against the Nets, Atlanta, Miami, Boston and the Lakers approaching.

“I’m excited,” said Joel Embiid, who scored 38 points. “I am excited to see how we go out there. But we definitely have to do a better job than we did tonight.”

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With a step-back jump shot to beat the third-quarter horn, Tobias Harris had 19 points and exactly

10,000 for his career.

“He’s got heart,” Milton said. “Tobias works day in and day out. He is very vocal in his leadership. He is always bringing guys together.”

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Even with Beal dominating most of the second half, Rivers oddly chose not to try to neutralize him with his best defensive perimeter player, Ben Simmons.

“I guess after he scored 60, we could have made the change,” the coach said, kiddingly. “But we liked what Ben was doing tonight as a roamer on (Russell) Westbrook. We thought that would allow him to get a lot of rebounds and push the break. We got a lot of easy baskets. So that part of it worked. The other part didn’t.”

Embiid, for one, was less than entertained by Beal’s outburst.

“We’ve got to do better,” he said. “We’ve got so many good defenders. There should never be any reason for any player to come into this building, or on the road, and drop 60 on us.”

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After Washington forced a tie at

131 with four minutes left, Embiid responded with a steal, a layup, a blocked shot, two rebounds, two free throws and a 28-foot 3-pointer in the next 2:05.

“These guys have a lot of trust in me, so that was my job,” he said. “I always give credit to my teammates. That’s what our team is based on.”

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Though he was limited to two points Wednesday, rookie Tyrese Maxey has impressed Milton.

“I mean, the young kid can go,” Milton said. “Rese can go. So it’s definitely fun to have somebody like that in the backcourt with you. He can dribble, shoot, pass. He’s just a playmaker. So any time you have an extra playmaker on the court, it makes it fun to play with him.”