Sixers miss Joel Embiid as small-ball lineup has no answers for Kristaps Porzingis in 121-111 loss to Wizards

Joel Embiid was missed.

The Washington Wizards took advantage of the height difference created by the 76ers’ 7-foot-2, 280-pounder’s absence.

Dominating the paint, the Wizards prevailed, 121-111, Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid missed his second consecutive game with the flu. The Sixers (4-5) were also without De’Anthony Melton (lower-back stiffness). And Matisse Thybulle (sprained right ankle) left the game in the third quarter.

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Washington (4-4) outscored the Sixers, 68-38, in the paint, had a 43-32 rebounding edge, blocked nine shots, and altered several others.

The loss snapped the Sixers’ three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Wizards avenged Monday’s loss to the Sixers in D.C. and snapped a three-game skid.

Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including making 5 of 9 three-pointers. James Harden added 24 points and 10 assists while experiencing left knee pain after a fall early in the game.

Harden, the All-Star point guard, limped into the locker room after the game and declined to comment.

Kristaps Porzingis, Washington’s 7-3 center, led the Wizards with 30 points along with nine rebounds, three blocks, and a steal while being guarded mostly by 6-6 and 6-5 defenders.

“Sometimes he literally just put the ball over his head and shot it,” Maxey said.

Porzingis went 9-for-13 from the field and made all 11 of his foul shots. The 240-pounder was elated to not have to play against Embiid.

“I don’t have to waste all that energy fighting a guy that’s 100 pounds heavier than me,” Porzingis said. “So it’s, of course, better for me.

“But I have to play against P.J. Tucker or some guard that’s quick. So I have to expend that energy in a different way. Trying to keep up with those smaller guys.”

He didn’t appear to have to expend a lot of energy against the 6-5 Tucker and the other Sixers.

Nor did Bradley Beal, who added 29 points and five assists.

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Embiid has not been around the Sixers since contracting the illness.

Meanwhile, the Wizards were without Delon Wright (left hamstring strain) and Corey Kispert (left ankle sprain).

While Embiid sat out Friday’s victory against the Toronto Raptors as he rested his right knee, he returned Saturday and scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Sixers in a victory over the Chicago Bulls.

But he’s been listed on the injury report since Sunday, because of the flu.

“Doctors tell you not to be around the team,” coach Doc Rivers said of modern players having the flu. “I don’t know how we survived in our day, because we played with the flu and everything.

“But not just the playing part, which was stupid when you think about it. But how did everyone else not get sick? I don’t know. But I do think it’s the right thing that we are doing now all over the league.”

The only thing is, Embiid has now missed three of the Sixers’ past four games.

Melton is usually the fifth starter when the Sixers go to a small-ball lineup with Embiid out. However, Melton was a late scratch with lower-back stiffness. So Thybulle got the start alongside Tobias Harris, Tucker, Maxey, and Harden.

But Thybulle played only 15 minutes, 42 seconds after spraining his ankle. He was examined in the locker room and watched the rest of the game from the bench.

“I stepped on somebody’s foot,” Thybulle said. “It’s not broken or torn or anything. It just didn’t feel strong enough to play on.”

He got things going early with a steal that led to a Maxey transition basket. Moments later, Thybulle scored on a layup while being fouled.

However, his second shot, a dunk attempt, was blocked by Porzingis.

Thybulle looked a little out of sync at times while playing with the starters. There were times when he appeared to be unsure wherther to set a screen for Harden or stand in the corner behind the three-point line. He was subbed out with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter.

“I was just trying to read James,” Thybulle said. “See what kind of matchup we could get.”

Thybulle finished with two points, one steal, and two assists.

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It didn’t take long to realize the Wizards would take advantage of Embiid’s absence.

Driving to the lane and posting up, 35 of their 57 first-half points came in the paint.

The Sixers were at a huge disadvantage as the 6-6 Thybulle, 6-5 reserve guard Shake Milton, and other guards had to defend Porzingis on occasion. The Wizards shot 57.7% from the field and exploited the Sixers’ switches all game.

“Defensively, we did not have great energy tonight,” Rivers said. “You could see it from the start. Beal was way too comfortable all night. Porzingis was comfortable all night, and they fed off of that.”