Written by Mike Volkunov, Eric Colleen, Tobias Bass
A story of two halves and great bench play led the Philadelphia 76ers to defeat the Miami Heat 105-104 in Wednesday’s play-in match and earn the No. 7 seed as they prepare to face the New York Knicks on Saturday. did.
With this loss, the Heat will face the Chicago Bulls on Friday for the final spot in the NBA playoffs – win or go home.
Nicolas Batum had a monster game off the bench with a season-high 20 points and 5 rebounds. Joel Embiid led all scorers with 23 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The 76ers went into halftime up 51-39, but committed 12 turnovers in the first half, allowing Miami to score 17 points, drawing constant boos from the Philadelphia faithful. Their struggles relied on Miami’s zone defense, as eight of Philadelphia’s 12 turnovers came from the zone.
As the second half began, Philadelphia began to press up more defensively and relied on its bench, but Miami had few answers. Heroics from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro kept the game close, but the 76ers were unable to overcome their momentum. Philadelphia’s bench scored 36 points, with Batum clinching the game with a key block against Herro late in the fourth quarter.
What this win means for Philadelphia
Not only did the Sixers win a play-in tournament game, they also won an important game. This is a huge deal since they will enter the playoffs as the 7th seed and avoid facing the Celtics in the first round. The Knicks will definitely be a tough matchup, but they won’t be the Celtics, who were an undisputed regular season powerhouse. They’ll take a train to New York, and for the next two weeks they’ll play a series of one-round matches, often a coin toss.
This was a great comeback for the Sixers. They kept track of the heat in real time. No one symbolizes that more than Embiid. Embiid struggled early and took command in the second half. His clutch bucket and big assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. late in the fourth quarter helped seal the victory. — Mike Volkunov, NBA and Basketball Business Staff Writer
Can Miami have another Cinderella run?
The Heat have a clutch offense that ranks 28th in the league this year, which raised serious red flags about the team’s ability to execute through the slow-paced playoff games. Miami built a 12-point lead on the strength of a tricky zone defense that baffled the 76ers and created easy chances in transition. Once Philadelphia adjusted, Miami could no longer generate enough points. Miami had little offensive creation other than Herro, which allowed Philadelphia to inch past them in the end.
The Heat will play the Bulls in Miami on Friday night, with the winner moving on to face the Boston Celtics in the first round. However, Jimmy Butler appeared to be injured when he was fouled by Oubre in transition at the end of the first quarter, and quick guard Terry Rozier, acquired in January to replace Kyle Lowry, missed his fifth straight game with a neck injury. It became. Butler barely moved during Miami’s second half possession, making 5 of 18 shots on the night. Butler said after the game that he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his knee on Thursday, and that his abilities were very limited as the game progressed and he felt like he hurt the Heat more than helped him. he added. If Butler is at risk and Rozier is unavailable, the Heat will need a little magic to make the playoffs. — Eric Colleen, Raptors staff writer
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(Photo: Jesse D. Garabrant/Getty Images)
