Joel Embiid and the 76ers found a way to defeat the Heat in the play-in game.
An ugly win is still a win. The Philadelphia 76ers proved just how true that sentiment can be in their victory over the Miami Heat in the play-in game. Joel Embiid didn’t mince words about the nature of the 105-104 victory afterward.
The Sixers scored just 39 points at halftime after getting smothered by the Heat’s zone defense. A strong second-half comeback punched their ticket to the first round. While there is plenty to take away from the game, it’s not going to be a very fun one to look back on.
Embiid praised the 76ers’ resiliency and ability to muck up the game like the Heat have become famous for, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
“It means a lot,” Embiid said after the game, via ESPN. “Being down a lot…we stuck together. It shows you that. I don’t play my best, I don’t get to my spots the whole game until the fourth quarter and we still found a way to win. They like to make it nasty and we can do it, too, and we made it nasty, too.”
76ers beat Heat in “nasty” play-in game
The Heat looked to push the pace as often as possible to avoid getting slowed down in the halfcourt. But they also looked to keep the Sixers at bay with an aggressive zone and press defense. It successfully worked in bogging Embiid and Tyrese Maxey down but made way for Nico Batum to step up and be the hero.
Embiid scored 11 points in the fourth quarter on his way to tallying 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. He was far from his best self for much of the game, a result not only of his still-recovering knee but of Miami’s intensity. His several missed layups and three turnovers weren’t too much damage for Philly to overcome, though.
“I think [it] wasn’t easy,” 76ers head coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought they certainly did a great job, built in a huge scheme to make things difficult for him. But he made some big plays. He hits a trail three, throws a great pass to Kelly there to the basket that we really needed.”
Nurse said that it felt like Embiid had more assists than he ended up with. The big man got double-teamed repeatedly and, aside from a few hiccups, kept the ball moving around. Nurse said that Embiid played “okay” and that he “competed late, especially” in the 76ers’ close win. The superstar center ended up coming through in a tight game when his team needed it the most.
Batum scored 20 points on 6-10 shooting from beyond the arc while Maxey contributed just 19 points on 6-16 shooting, though he also dished six assists.
While the Miami Heat look to rebound against the Chicago Bulls in the next play-in game and hope that Jimmy Butler can recover from his MCL injury, the 76ers will stay familiar with physical basketball in their first-round series against the New York Knicks. That series begins Saturday at 6:00 PM EST at Madison Square Garden.
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