Tobias Harris set a playoff career high with 37 points to help the host and top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers hold off the eighth-seeded Washington Wizards 125-118 on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Harris, 'The Pride of Long Island', scored 15 of his 28 first-half points in the second quarter to keep the 76ers in the game early as the Wizards jumped out to a 62-61 halftime lead. Philadelphia outscored Washington 38-31 in the third quarter and 64-56 in the second half.
"I wanted to set the tone early on and just show what we're about all year," Harris told the NBA on TNT broadcast after the win.
"We know this playoff run is going to be as tough as they get. We've just got to bring the energy and bring the fire each and every night."
Joel Embiid finished with 30 points and six rebounds, Seth Curry scored 15, and Danny Green and George Hill added 11 apiece for the 76ers. Ben Simmons scored only six points but grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out a playoff career-high 15 assists for Philadelphia.
Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 33 points and 10 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 14 assists and five rebounds, Davis Bertans added 14 points and Rui Hachimura, Alex Len and Daniel Gafford each scored 12.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
Harris' previous career playoff high was 29 points on April 18, 2019, against Brooklyn. Simmons became the sixth 76ers player to record 15 or more assists in a playoff game and the first since Allen Iverson in 2005.
Washington trimmed Philadelphia's 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter down to five entering the final minute.
Simmons missed a pair of free throws with the 76ers leading 121-116 and 43.9 seconds remaining, but Westbrook stepped out of bounds trying to corral Gafford's pass with 37.1 seconds on the clock. Replays showed it to be the finest of fine-margin calls and with the call, that was that.
After Embiid's turnover on the ensuing possession, Westbrook missed a 3-pointer with 17.8 seconds remaining and Embiid and Harris sealed the win at the free throw line.