Another day, another loss for the Philadelphia 76ers, who continue to work their way toward clinching a bottom-five spot in the NBA in hopes of retaining their first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Sixers would arrive in Miami shorthanded, as they have been all season, facing a Heat team that would also be without some of their key contributors.
Without Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, it was up to Tyler Herro and rookie Kel’el Ware to stave off the visiting Sixers, while Quentin Grimes and Adem Bona did their part to keep the Heat from improving their position in the Play-In tournament.
Grimes and Bona were joined by Lonnie Walker IV, who led the early scoring punch by combining for 22 of the Sixers’ 28 points in the first quarter. The second quarter saw some resistance from the Heat defense, which held the Sixers to just one made three on 11 attempts, helping Miami pull away at the half.
The Sixers would punch back in the third quarter behind a 15-point effort by Quentin Grimes, who would finish the game tied with Lonnie Walker for the most points scored with 29. The fourth quarter would be a new game as the teams entered tied at 83. As has been the case for the Sixers throughout this season, a lack of legs late led to an eventual collapse, and the Heat would go on to win by a final score of 117-105.
Grimes, Bona, and Walker did what they could, combining for 74 points, but simply didn’t receive enough support for the rest of the squad. Jared Butler provided a solid boost with eight points, four assists, and four steals in just 25 minutes. Butler effectively shared his time with Kyle Lowry and Jalen Hood-Schifino despite being far more effective.
It’s not much of a concern, considering where Philly’s season has gone. Still, it is a failed opportunity to continue developing Butler, who is one of the few currently paying Sixers who could remain with the team next season.
Sixers standing update
With the Nets and Pelicans off tonight, the Sixers regained half a game in the reverse standings once again. Brooklyn and New Orleans have just four games left this season compared to Philly’s three.
The Nets and Pelicans will face each other in a game with massive implications for the Sixers. A Pelicans win would be the ideal outcome as the Sixers continue to chase fourth place in the reverse standings, but a Nets win is far from a disappointment as the Sixers would be one step closer to confirming their status in the fifth spot.
Up next for the Sixers
The Sixers will travel to Washington for their final road game of the season, where they will face the East’s worst team, the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are coming off two straight losses but have looked a bit more fluid since adding veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart, the latter of whom still plays for the team on occasion.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, and you can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia, and you can listen live as always at 97.5 FM, the Fanatic.
