Joel, Joel, Sixers' Joel is saviour against Wizards

LOS ANGELES • The 76ers have not lost at home in Philadelphia since Dec 20 last year but much has changed since, including a new coach in Doc Rivers.

The thing that remained the same? Joel Embiid being dominant down the stretch.

The forward scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lift Philadelphia past the Washington Wizards 113-107 in Rivers' debut with the 76ers in their National Basketball Association (NBA) season opener on Wednesday.

He was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, getting the ball on five consecutive possessions and wiping out a 10-point deficit.

His lay-up with 1min 9sec left put his team up 105-103, and he ended the game 10 of 17 from the floor.

"I don't think anybody can stop me, especially with the mentality I have this year," Embiid said on ESPN.

Shake Milton added 19 points while Ben Simmons had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Simmons' dunk in the final 30 seconds keyed the victory.

Seth Curry chipped in 13 points.

Russell Westbrook led the Wizards with 21 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds for his 147th career triple-double. He became the first player in franchise history to post a triple-double on his debut.

"You know what I loved about the game is, we didn't play well," said Rivers. "We had stretches that we played well. You can see in that little third quarter, body language is struggling, but they just find a way to win."

The Sixers missed their first 10 shots of the third quarter and trailed 70-58. The Wizards were aggressive and led 83-73 by the end of the period.

But Embiid hit four free throws early in the fourth quarter and the Sixers quickly cut the lead to 83-80. He stayed hot, making a 15-foot jumper, and the Sixers tied the game at 88 apiece.

Bradley Beal, who had a team-high 31 points, made a difficult three-pointer with 4:02 left for a 99-95 Wizards lead.

The Sixers then came back with a 6-0 run capped by Simmons' lay-up for a 101-99 advantage with 2:27 remaining.

Beal believed that Embiid was the game changer in the last period.

He said: "He's the focal point. The ball is going to Embiid on every single play. He's a hassle down there."

REUTERS