Sixers vs. Heat: Sixers get blown out by Miami in home finale
The Sixers’ final home game of the 2022-23 regular season was not their finest.
With a 129-101 loss to the Heat at Wells Fargo Center, the No. 3 seed Sixers dropped to 52-28.
Joel Embiid was the Sixers’ leading scorer with 21 points in 30 minutes. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 24 for Miami.
The Nets magic number for the No. 6 seed is still one, meaning the only scenario which would result in a Sixers-Heat first-round series is Miami finishing 2-0 and the Nets ending 0-2. Anything besides that would mean Sixers vs. Nets in Round 1.
The Heats last two games are against the Wizards and Magic, while Brooklyn will face Orlando and the Sixers in its final two.
Tyrese Maxey (neck stiffness) was the one Sixer out. On Fan Appreciation Night, Maxey took the mic shortly before tip-off, thanked the crowd for its support through the year, and said the Sixers cant wait to play in front of the best fans in the world during the playoffs.
The team will presumably sit more of its big names over the seasons last two contests. Game No. 81 is Friday night against the Hawks.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ blowout defeat Thursday:
Stars through another regular-season night
The Sixers start was not promising. After Embiid missed a leaner, Miamis Max Strus got an easy fast-break layup.
While he didnt match his 52-point effort Tuesday night, Embiid again produced plenty in the first quarter, scoring 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting and converting two tricky and-one layups. He stayed down for a bit longer than usual and grimaced after the second and-one, but Embiid eventually rose and appeared to be moving fine.
After Embiid posted the Sixers first five points, Tobias Harris added the next seven. He profited on an inch-perfect, long-distance James Harden outlet pass and had a quick trigger on a couple of three-point attempts. Though Maxey is often cited as a Sixer who especially benefits from good team pace, Harris is another who tends to enjoy when the team is generating regular transition chances and flowing in the open floor.
Meanwhile, Harden initially adopted a pass-first approach. He struggled as a scorer, missing his first five field-goal attempts. Harden also committed a turnover in the backcourt when his handle was loose under Caleb Martins pressure. Missing heaps of open looks didnt help the Sixers went 4 for 17 from three-point range over the first two quarters but it obviously was not a strong half for Harden and the team.
Ultimately, the Sixers and their stars got through one more game. Better performances than Thursdays would be nice, but health should be the teams top priority over its last two outings.
Milton back in bench mix
With Maxey sitting, Shake Milton re-entered the Sixers rotation. Danuel House Jr., Jalen McDaniels, Georges Niang and Paul Reed were the other second-unit Sixers to see meaningful time over the first three quarters.
Milton hit a step-back, mid-range jumper, but the Sixers deficit ballooned with their bench and Harden on the floor. Milton pump faked a three against Miamis zone and got called for traveling. So did Niang 37 seconds later. Reed turned the ball over trying a tight-window interior pass to McDaniels, leading to a Haywood Highsmith dunk in transition. At that point, the Heat had a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Sixers defense created just two giveaways in the first half. While their zone at least made Miami more reliant on jumpers in the second quarter, the Heat moved the ball crisply and enjoyed spreading the wealth, assisting 21 of their 24 first-half field goals. Even when their starters returned, the Sixers were inferior in the energy and execution departments. They fell behind by 25 points on a Max Strus corner three late in the second.
Though comebacks from that far down are clearly rare, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers didnt pull the plug at halftime. He waited until the end of the third quarter to end Embiid’s night and subbed Harden out for Furkan Korkmaz with 10 minutes remaining.
Milton got an extended run as the Sixers’ lead ball handler in the fourth quarter. In 27 minutes, he had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting and 10 assists. Though the Sixers’ perimeter depth has improved from last postseason with Melton now on board, Milton still looks capable of having positive moments offensively and helping Harden to facilitate second-unit offense.
Garbage time galore
The Sixers began the third quarter well. After two threes from Harden and one from Melton, Miami’s lead was suddenly down to 74-59.
However, Butler’s competitive edge did not evaporate at halftime. He methodically set up the matchups he wanted, canned several mid-range jumpers, and erased any thought of a huge Sixers turnaround.
By the middle of the fourth quarter, both teams employed deep bench players. Montrezl Harrell played the final 7:15. Dewayne Dedmon was the one active Sixer not to appear. Jaden Springer minutes would’ve provided a bit of intrigue, but the second-year guard was playing in Game 2 of the G League Finals for the Delaware Blue Coats.
Presumably, the Sixers’ next two games in Atlanta and Brooklyn will feature that sort of action for much longer stretches.