76ers Take the Seventh Seed in the East After Huge Second-Half Performance
After the Philadelphia 76ers scored just 39 points in the first quarter, everyone believed the Miami Heat had the keys to once again go on a deep playoff run. However, after some big-time performances from Joel Embiid, and Nicolas Batum during the second half, the 76ers would take a wild 105-104 win over the Miami Heat to clinch the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, Philly will face the second-seeded New York Knicks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. With the Bulls taking a win at home to eliminate the Atlanta Hawks from playoff contention, the Heat will host the Bulls on Friday night to determine who will face the East’s top-seeded Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia played steady basketball in the first quarter. Their biggest lead of the quarter was eight points, however, they struggled giving up seven turnovers and going two for nine from beyond the arc. Even with these early problems, the 76ers trailed by one point heading into the second quarter. Miami went on to outscore the Sixers 28-17 in the second quarter. The Heat held a 14-point lead at one point before going into halftime up by 12 with two-quarters of action left to go. Philly shot 26 percent from the field, and 11 percent from downtown in that brutal second quarter. Going into the break, both Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler led the way for their teams with 10 points each. Tyrese Maxey had nine points on three of nine shooting for the 76ers, while Tyler Herro scored nine points going four for 12 from the field.
Miami held the lead the entire third quarter, but there were multiple instances where the Sixers were behind by just a possession. Philadelphia completely turned it around from their sluggish first half. In the third quarter, the 76ers shot over 50 percent from the field, and from three-point range, they outrebounded the Heat 15-13 and committed two fewer turnovers than their opponents. With less than nine minutes remaining in this game, the Sixers finally recaptured the lead, their first lead since the first quarter. Both teams would battle back and forth, with each team always behind a possession or two.
Ninety seconds were left on the clock with both teams tied at 96. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored and was fouled off a layup by Jimmy Butler. With Oubre Jr. knocking down the free throw the Sixers led by three. After being fouled, Maxey would bring the lead up to five after hitting both free throw attempts. Haywood Highsmith knocked down a layup to keep it a one-possession game. Oubre Jr. would be fouled again and hit both free throw attempts. Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. hit a nine-foot turnaround fadeaway to cut Philly’s lead to 103-100. Maxey would successfully score on another two free throw attempts, to give the Sixers a five-point lead again. Herro hit a free throw after Nicolas Batum was called for an away-from-the-play foul. With two seconds remaining, Herro scored a three-pointer, but it wouldn’t be enough to overcome the Sixers, as Philly would win 105-104.
Last year’s NBA MVP Joel Embiid finished the game with 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and a steal. In 28 minutes off the bench, Nicholas Batum knocked down six threes and finished with 20 points. Tyrese Maxey had 19 points in the win. Tyler Herro led all scorers with 25 points going nine for 27 from the field. He also had two rebounds, nine assists, and five turnovers. Jimmy Butler scored 19 points on five of 18 shooting along with recording four rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the loss.
