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Sixers-Wizards Quick Hits: Amir Johnson, big start get things rolling

The Sixers opened on a 20-2 run and shot 69.6 percent from the field in the first quarter.

Joel Embiid blocks a shot by Kelly Oubre in the Sixers win over the Wizards Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Joel Embiid blocks a shot by Kelly Oubre in the Sixers win over the Wizards Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.Read moreCharles Fox / Staff

Amir Johnson sets the tone

Amir Johnson, who came off the bench with 6:56 left in the first quarter, started his time out with a muscled defensive battle against Marcin Gortat. Johnson gave Gortat little room to move and even less of a chance to catch up. Gortat was scoreless in the first. Johnson scored seven of his nine points in that opening quarter as part of a run that gave the Sixers a 21-point lead and helped give the Sixers enough space to withstand their faults in the second half.

The first quarter run

The Sixers went on a 20-2 run in the opening quarter, closing out the first 12 minutes with a 37-20 lead. During that time, they were able to make quick fixes to their mistakes with tough defense. Despite having six turnovers in the first quarter, the Sixers only gave up four points from the miscues and held Washington scoreless in the fast break. They shot 69.6 percent from the field and held the Wizards to just four defensive rebounds.

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The cool down

Luckily the Sixers lead was enough, again, to sustain the fall. The Wizards approach was collective and methodical, not at all frantic. They slowly chipped away at the Sixers lead, coming within single digits, in large part because of Bradley Beal who finished with a game-high 30 points. The Sixers weren't able to maintain their shooting percentage, and there were multiple turnovers that were completely avoidable. But, in the Sixers defense, they didn't seem to panic under the pressure that Washington was creating.

Dario Saric stays consistent

Saric now has 31 consecutive games scoring in double digits. He finished with 20 points against the Wizards on 8-of-14 shooting. He is one of the Sixers most consistent players and can be counted on for more than his scoring. He isn't a player that comes to mind for great defense, but in tough moments he buckles down and holds his own. He is willing to sacrifice his body for the play and to chase down a loose ball and the Sixers' fan appreciate that.

Celebrating the Super Bowl

There were more E-A-G-L-E-S chants in the building than 'trust the process' chants. Brandon Brooks, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Stefen Wisniewski, and Jason Peters were all in the building and the fans ate it up. The Sixers played a highlight reel of Eagles Super Bowl moments in the second quarter and the Eagles mascot was on hand to help out the celebration. Something you may not have seen on the broadcast was a Patriots fan wearing a New England jersey that was put on the big screen during a timeout. It takes a lot of guts to be the guy that shows up at the Wells Fargo Center in that garb, and there was no surprise when the fans let him have it with plenty of loudly chanted expletives.