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Embiid lone bright spot as Sixers get routed again

WASHINGTON - It's hard to give an accurate assessment of the 76ers because of all of the injuries. But Thursday night's product was bad. It would have been worse if Joel Embiid hadn't played.

WASHINGTON - It's hard to give an accurate assessment of the 76ers because of all of the injuries.

But Thursday night's product was bad. It would have been worse if Joel Embiid hadn't played.

The Sixers shot 13.3 percent on three-pointers. They committed 22 turnovers. They provided little resistance on defense. And they ended up losing to Washington, 100-79, in the half-empty Verizon Center.

"We've got a lot of work to do - both sides of the court," said Gerald Henderson, who failed to score after missing three shots in 10 minutes, 56 seconds of action. "I think defensively that's where it starts."

For small portions of the game, the Sixers got stops, pushed the ball, and played with pace. It's hard to be in fastbreak mode for the entire game, but the defense provides the team's energy. So that's where it starts, and the Sixers didn't provide enough of it.

"On the offensive end, half-court and stuff, we've just got a lot of learning to do, myself included, learning how to play with my teammates," Henderson said. "That stuff will improve, though."

Embiid was one of the Sixers' few highlights. The 7-foot-2, 276-pound rookie center finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds, one steal and one block in 13:55 - all in the first half. The only thing he failed to do was get his first assist of the preseason. Embiid said that he wants to be less selfish.

He was more active on the boards than in the previous four games. "But it didn't help my team win today," Embiid said. "So it's doesn't matter."

The loss dropped the Sixers to 1-4 in the preseason with two more exhibition games left. This setback came two days after the Sixers lost by 30 points to Memphis on the road. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 22 points.

The Sixers are still without first overall pick Ben Simmons along with Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Jerryd Bayless.

Simmons (foot surgery), Okafor (right knee rehabilitation), and Bayless (left wrist soreness) have yet to play. Noel (left groin strain) has missed the last four games.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, Simmons is expected to miss three months, according to sources. Bayless is expected to miss at least the start of the season. And Noel and Okafor play the same c position as Embiid. Teams usually don't play three centers.

So this has all the signs of another excruciating campaign for the team that finished 10-72 last season.

But hey, at least the Sixers have Embiid. Sixers fans, who made up half the crowd, chanted "M-V-P" during two of his trips to the foul line. They added chants of "Trust the process" in the second quarter. That came after he signed an autograph for a young Sixers fan while sitting on the baseline next to the Sixers bench.

"It's nice Sixers fans show that they trust the process, and it's all going to go well," Embiid said. "Like I said before, we've got some guys hurt. I'm sure when they come back, they are all going to help us big-time. But as a team, we've got a lot of stuff to work on."

Reserve guards Nik Stauskas and Brandon Paul returned to action against the Wizards (2-2). Both players were restricted to just 12 minutes.

Stauskas finished with two points after missing the last three games with a left hamstring strain. Paul scored five points after being sidelined two games with a stomach muscle contusion.

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

www.philly.com/deepsixer