Each of the previous three times Washington has made it to breakeven, it has lost the next game. On Wednesday against Boston, the Wizards try to get over .500 for the first time since they were 2-1 on Oct. 31, 2009.
Beal missed 12 of 14 shots in Saturday's loss to Detroit but snapped back to score 13 in the second quarter and help give Washington a 61-51 lead at halftime.
Michael Carter-Williams led Philadelphia, which has lost seven of eight, with 31. Thaddeus Young had 18. Spencer Hawes had 11 points and tied his season high with 14 rebounds.
Carter-Williams and Young scored the first 19 Philadelphia points in the third, but the Sixers trailed 70-66 midway through the period. Washington led 86-73 after three.
The Wizards were ahead 100-79 with 6:07 to play, but Philadelphia scored 13 straight to trail by eight with 2:26 left.
Kevin Seraphin had 16 for Washngton. John Wall added 14.
The Sixers reach the halfway point of the season with a 13-28 record. Expectations were low when the season began, but Philadelphia won its first three over Miami, Washington and Chicago.
With more than three weeks until the league pauses for the All-Star game, coach Brett Brown is still hopeful his team can improve.
"You're getting ready for spring break, and everybody's going to Fort Lauderdale, and there's a time where you can dig in pre-All-Star break and finish this middle third of the season with some grunt," Brown said.
NOTES: Wizards swingman Glen Rice was assigned to Iowa of the D-League. Rice had right wrist surgery last month, and coach Randy Wittman said that he needs some playing time and could return to the team during its upcoming four-game road trip, which begins on Friday. . Sixers G Tony Wroten is out with a sprained right ankle. Brown refused to estimate how long he will be sidelined. Wroten sustained the injury on Saturday in Chicago. . Philadelphia F Brandon Davies missed the game with a dislocated right pinkie. . Washington F Trevor Booker was out with a sprained left ankle. . Adam Silver, who will succeed David Stern as NBA commissioner next month, sat with Wizards owner Ted Leonsis.
