Ben Simmons, Sixers Defeat Washington Wizards in Game 2 on Wednesday

The Philadelphia 76ers returned to their home court on Wednesday night after a two-day break from Sunday's Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards. After opening up the NBA Playoffs with a tight victory, the Sixers came into Game 2 hungry for another win but by a larger margin.

Ben Simmons, who caught heat for draining just six points in the first outing of the series, came back with a vengeance on Wednesday. Simmons put up eight shots in the first ten minutes of action, draining six of them for 12 first-quarter points. 

In the second quarter, Joel Embiid took the reigns for the Sixers' offense. Philly's big man went 4-for-5 from the field in eight minutes and put up 11 points, adding to his 13 total first-half points.

Heading into halftime on Sunday, the Sixers trailed a point. They returned to their locker room on Wednesday night with a 71-57 lead during the intermission. A monster third quarter wasn't necessary for the Sixers. Although they were neck and neck with the Wizards, scoring and giving 23 points, the Sixers' first-half dominance allowed them to enter the final quarter with a solid lead. 

At that point, Doc Rivers saw enough from his starters. With Wizards star Russell Westbrook out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury and one of Washington's key reserves, Davis Bertans fouled out of the matchup, Rivers felt comfortable enough to clear his bench and allow the key players to get rest.

Sixers rookie Tyrese Maxey checked into the second playoff game of his career for the final ten minutes of the game. That's when the rookie guard flashed brilliance in garbage time and accounted for 10 points off seven shots. Maxey's contributions helped the Sixers outscore Washington once again in the fourth quarter and end the night with a blowout victory.

A 120-95 win for the Sixers allowed them to move to 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs against the Wizards. Now, the Sixers will travel to the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. for the next two games, where they could potentially put the series to bed early.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.