The Philadelphia 76ers came into tonight’s matchup against the Miami Heat looking to extend their win streak after a close win against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid against the Heat on the second night of a back-to-back, but the team was able to get Paul George back in the lineup after missing the last five games with a ligament issue in his left pinky. This team has been riddled with injuries all season and would have their 31st different starting lineup against Miami.
Miami came into Wednesday night’s matchup after losing to the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday. They blew a large lead early in the second half and were outscored 39-21 in the fourth quarter. The Heat have been surrounded by drama related to Jimmy Butler for the last month.
Game Recap
The first quarter started out really slow for both teams, who struggled to play with energy in the first few minutes. With the Heat starting two bigs in Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware, the Sixers leaned into small ball most of the first quarter. Tyler Herro had it going for the Heat early while the Sixers struggled to find their shooting touch, making just two of their first nine shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter. Philadelphia managed to stay in the game by playing some really good defense while their offense tried to get on track.
Philly got a boost from Reggie Jackson at the start of the second quarter. The veteran guard scored eight points in less than a minute to help the Sixers recapture a small lead. While the Sixers and Heat continued back and forth, the story of the night quickly became about Jimmy Butler, who the Heat traded to the Golden State Warriors during the game.
The trade happened during a timeout, and you could see all of the players finding out at the same time. From that moment, it looked as though they played a bit more freely as if a burden had been lifted from them. Herro, Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jovic continued to provide the bulk of the scoring to help take a small lead into halftime over the home team.
The third quarter started with the Sixers continually turning the Heat over early but struggled to hit anything on offense. It seemed like wide-open threes and routine layups would fall for them, while Miami had no trouble hitting any and all tough shots they manufactured. It seemed like Jovic and Herro hit tough three after tough three to keep Philly at a distance. Nurse’s small-ball lineup against the zone gave up some extra possessions, which allowed Miami to build a double-digit lead.
The fourth quarter started with an all-bench unit that just tried to give Maxey and Yabusele some extra rest because they had been logging heavy minutes. They kept it close enough to get the starters back in with five minutes. The final five minutes were a fight for both teams, with the Heat fighting for extra possessions with some offensive rebounds and the Sixers diving on the floor for loose balls.
Miami also seemed to hit every tough shot that they were presented with. The Heat defeated the Sixers 108-101, dropping the Sixers back to ten games under .500. Miami was led by Tyler Herro (30 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds), while Tyrese Maxey (31 points and five assists) did all he could for Philly.
Not able to capitalize
On a night where the Sixers turned the Heat over 22 times for 25 points, they could not string together enough good shooting to win this game. They were able to get 14 steals and four blocks, but the defense wasn’t enough because they gave up some second-chance opportunities to the Heat.
Nick Nurse was also disappointed that their efforts on defense didn’t lead to a win. “Listen, it’s pretty disappointing when the defense is that good, right, to not have it translate into something.” It’s tough for a team that is fighting for a play-in spot not to be able to turn a good defense effort like tonight into a win.
Maxey continues to carry the team
Tyrese Maxey ended up with another 30-point night against the Heat, even after struggling with a few no-calls in the fourth quarter. After his early season troubles, he has solidified himself as the number one option on this team this year, regardless of whether Joel Embiid plays consistently for the remainder of the season.
It started out rough for him in the first quarter and a half, and then you look up, and he’s tallied 30 points. With George and Embiid in and out of the lineup, he has stepped up and carried this team. He was an all-star snub, but he did not let his lack of selection hinder his play.
Trade bait
With the trade deadline coming on Thursday afternoon, Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond have garnered trade interest around the league. Drummond didn’t play against the Heat, but Gordon returned to the lineup after missing a game with a sore knee.
Gordon has been on fire from deep in recent weeks, making teams pay for squeezing in the paint when Maxey turns the corner for his drives. He didn’t play too well against the Heat, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he or Drummond were moved to a contender for some sort of draft capital.
