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Wizards 120, 76ers 115: Five quick observations

Five quick observations from the Sixers' 120-115 loss to the Wizards on opening night.

Sixers center Joel Embiid shoots over Wizards’ Ian Mahinmi during the first quarter at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Wednesday.
Sixers center Joel Embiid shoots over Wizards’ Ian Mahinmi during the first quarter at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC on Wednesday.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Sharing is caring: An encouraging sign for the Sixers is that they aren't relying on just two guys (Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) to score all the points. Embiid, Simmons, Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz, and J.J. Redick all finished in double figures but everyone who played contributed to the score.

Covington, Simmons shine as Sixers fight hard in opening loss to Wizards

Robert released: Covington is benefitting immensely from the space that Embiid and Redick create. Since there are other three-point threats, Covington is able to shoot wide open. His defense is undeniable but it looks like he is going to have quite the offensive year. He finished the game with 29 points and shot 7 for 11 from three.

Joel knows best: The minute restriction we kept hearing about this week apparently didn't matter when game-time came. The big man played more than 26 minutes and finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Fear Amir: The veteran big man was quiet and composed in the preseason. But not anymore. He came out against the Wizards and seemed much younger than his 13-year career suggests. He anticipates rebounds and when he isn't able to pull one down he often is in position to swat it out. The perimeter guys on the Sixers aren't used to it yet and missed a few opportunities against the Wizards, but learning Johnson's tendencies will come with time. He'll have to watch the fouls though.

Small ball: The Sixers opened the fourth quarter with a small-ball lineup, Covington, Redick, Simmons, Jerryd Bayless, and Dario Saric. They started the quarter trailing by eight points and in less than three minutes took the lead back, putting the Sixers back in the game. Playing Saric at the five is a recent experiment that looks like it will pay off given the right situation and opponent.