Paul George drops 39 in Sixers’ blowout win over Wizards

Paul George put on a vintage performance in the nation’s capital, scoring 39 points as the Sixers blew out the Wizards 153-131. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe added a combined 51 points and 19 assists.

Here’s what stood out.

Paul George turns back the clock

George played his best game as a Sixer in this game, finishing with 39 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-12 from three, while adding five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Over his past four games, he has averaged 28.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.

That’s not even to mention his defensive impact, which has consistently been among the most impressive from any Sixer, even when he wasn’t completely healthy. Admittedly, the Sixers have been a rough defensive watch over the past two seasons.

A number of lower-body injuries caused George to miss an entire season’s worth of games over the past two years, but since returning from his recent suspension, he has largely looked like the all-star caliber player the Sixers thought they were signing in the 2024 offseason.

While it’s a small sample size, George is adding more confidence in the legitimacy of his return with each passing game, just in time for the postseason. 

Maxey and Edgecombe continue to thrive

The Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe union has gone better than anyone could have hoped for this season, but as Edgecombe continues to grow over the course of the season, the pairing has elevated their combined game to new heights.

Playing with extreme pace while facing a struggling Wizards team and without Joel Embiid, the tandem was able to push the pace, score and playmake to their hearts’ content.

Maxey finished the night with 28 points and nine assists, while Edgecombe had a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. As Maxey has demanded of Edgecombe throughout the season, the rookie has remained aggressive no matter which of his teammates are on the court and is doing so efficiently, shooting 58.8 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from three over his last three games.

Other takeaways

• Since George's return, Quentin Grimes has been exactly who the Sixers have needed him to be. Not the $30 million player some once thought he was, but a starting-caliber contributor off the bench, operating as a high-end 3&D guard. Averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from three, the vision that the Sixers front office has envisioned for Grimes appears to be a reality. He simply needs to continue to operate in this same role and produce at a level at least reminiscent of this.
• Kelly Oubre has similarly produced, largely playing his ideal role for the Sixers. As a point-of-attack defender, cutter and spot-up shooter, Oubre is thriving. Also like Grimes, Oubre is heading toward unrestricted free agency. It’s possible that one or both players might find richer deals elsewhere, but they should be high priorities for Philadelphia this summer.

Up next for the Sixers

The Sixers return home for a Friday night matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a two-game lead over the eighth-seeded Magic, the Sixers will have to be careful not to get complacent as they face a rather difficult final six games of their season.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST on Friday, April 3.

Unless otherwise stated, all stats included in this article are via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass, Basketball Reference or Team Rankings. All salary information via Spotrac.

For the latest on your Philadelphia 76ers, follow Zach on Twitter and Bluesky.