In the second game of their current four-game road trip, the Philadelphia 76ers (20-13) faced the Washington Wizards (14-21). The Sixers, once again, went down early in the game and made a strong second-half effort. This time, they couldn't secure the win. Their winning streak ends at eight games by a score of 116-111.

Let's break down the Sixers' loss to the Wizards.

Sixers player analysis

Joel Embiid: 48 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 17-31 FG shooting

Embiid got to work quickly — in numerous ways. He both scored 16 points in the first quarter and on many of his buckets, he didn't waste much time between the catch and the move to the hoop. Even on opportunities when he didn't work quickly, he just overpowered the defenders in his way.

Everything looked so easy out there for him as he scored 26 first-half points. He showed his hustle by running the floor and crashing the offensive glass. Embiid worried fans by taking a hard fall and later taking a charge in the third quarter. He may have been down but he was far from out, continuing his hot scoring night in the fourth quarter. A herculean effort wasn't enough.

James Harden: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 7-14 FG shooting

Harden continued his quest to get the Sixers to play with pace. His playmaking continued to power their offense, providing for well over half of their assists. Like he did in the fourth quarter on Christmas, he got it going and helped Philly get back into it.

Tobias Harris: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 7-14 FG shooting

Harris quietly had an efficient shooting night, though he was once again ice-cold from beyond the arc. He did a good job of giving Harden someone to pass to in transition and was quick and decisive with the ball and was solid on defense.

De'Anthony Melton: 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2-5 FG shooting 

Melton had the responsibility to guard Bradley Beal. He navigated the minefield of screens rather well for the most part but still couldn't completely put the kibosh on him, which is understandable. On offense, he was fine, as he took all but one of his attempts from deep.

Wizards player analysis

Bradley Beal: 19 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 8-15 FG shooting

Beal, like Embiid, got busy right away and did the bulk of the work for his squad. He scored 11 points on 5/7 shooting in the opening period and continued to cook throughout the game. The Wizards star was tough to stop, as he also used his ability to get into the teeth of the defense to make plays for his teammates. He got injured late in the fourth quarter and his team really missed him.

Kristaps Porzingis: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 7-15 FG shooting

Porzingis provided a scoring punch with his tough shot-making. He converted a few buckets through contact over smaller defenders early on. The big man walked gingerly to the locker room early in the second quarter but returned later in the period, providing some very solid defense. His scoring remained key for the Wizards for the rest of the game.

Kyle Kuzma: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 4-13 FG shooting

When the Wizards entertain trades for Kuzma at the trade deadline, they'll do their best to make the team on the other end of the call look away from this game. He was active on the glass and looked to push the pace but was otherwise not very good, coughing the ball up four times in the first half. His 11 points in the third quarter were overshadowed by his failure to convert tough shots down the stretch.

Game trends

1st half

  • The Sixers' defense was active (and the Wizards' offense was sloppy), leading to five takeaways in just the first few minutes and several deflections. They left some opportunities on the table, though, and didn't push their lead beyond six points.
  • Once the Wizards stopped tripping over themselves, they got going and scored on six consecutive offensive possessions. The Sixers helped them out with numerous shooting fouls later on in the opening frame.
  • Montrezl Harrell picked up three fouls in his first four minutes but also scored seven points on 3-3 shooting. He was the only Sixers bench player to record a field goal until the third quarter. Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura had it going with 10 early points.
  • The Sixers' making just one of their first 10 attempts from beyond the arc helped exacerbate the issues they had keeping the Wizards off the glass.
  • Washington led 67-56 at halftime, getting 28 points from its bench while Philadelphia only got nine.

2nd half

  • P.J. Tucker was looked at by the medical staff as he dealt with an issue in his hand and logged only two minutes in the second half. Georges Niang took up his minutes but had a poor shooting night.
  • The Sixers' rebounding problem is becoming more and more noticeable, as shown by Porzingis flying in for an uncontested putback dunk. The biggest remedy would be to improve on perimeter defense, which in theory would allow for the guys down low to get better positioning rather than flying around to contest shots. But Philly also just has to make more efforts to box out as well.
  • Rebounding woes aside, the Sixers' offense started showing a little more life as the third quarter went on. Pushing the pace and keeping the ball moving worked wonders — as did Embiid, of course. Philly turned up the defensive intensity, too, by forcing consecutive shot-clock violations. Both coaches fancied themselves some zone defense.
  • Harden's overall struggle to blow by defenders in the halfcourt is something to keep an eye on but he makes up for it by getting downhill in the open court whenever he can.
  • The Wizards offense was getting some good looks in crunch time but Beal then went back to the locker room with four minutes left, leaving Washington practically hopeless in the halfcourt. The Sixers looked better but also blew some crucial chances.
  • Niang got a great look to cut the Sixers' deficit to two but it rattled in and out. The whole team made a lot of mistakes but it was also just that kind of night. Philly shot 6-31 from deep.

Stray thoughts

  • The Sixers' nine-game winning streak challenge — really, it's more of a demand — from Mike Levin of the Rights to Ricky Sanchez Podcast came just one win short. Levin himself correctly called it ahead of the contest.
  • I'm a big fan of the Wizards' throwback uniforms and court.
  • Harden negated an all-time highlight with between him and Embiid on the fastbreak with a light shove, resulting in an offensive foul. In fairness to him, it was tough for him to go anywhere else.
  • Tyrese Maxey coming back soon is a huge blessing for the Sixers, who have found themselves having to play catch-up a lot in recent games.

The Sixers will head now south for a Friday matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans.