Miami May 11 (U.S.): Shots fell again on the Miami Heat. They have kept Joel Embiid and James Harden in check. Their instructor received an in-game massage from DJ Khaled.
Yes really.
It was a night for the Heat, who — without everyone getting shoulder scrubs — are feeling good about their game chances again, The Associated Press reports.
Jimmy Butler scored 23 points, Max Strauss added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and kept the Heat one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals by beating the Philadelphia 76ers 120-85 on Tuesday.
The 35-point margin of victory was the largest so far in this year’s playoffs — Philadelphia beat Toronto by 35 points in that first-round competition series — and matched the second-largest competition in post-season history.
“They were more physical,” said Doc Rivers, coach of the 76 players. “We didn’t run anything. We didn’t run our stuff well. We played at a slow pace… Everything they did tonight was harder and better. Their stuff was better, their energy was better.”
Victor Oladipo scored 13 goals for Miami, which got 12 from Pam Adebayo and 10 from Tyler Hero and PJ Tucker. The top-seeded Heat leads the Eastern Semifinal Series 3-2, improving to NBA-Best 6-0 at home in these playoffs.
Joel Embiid scored 17 points for the fourth-seeded Philadelphia, who got 14 from James Harden and 12 from Tobias Harris. The 76er dropped 15 points in the fourth quarter, then lost 12 consecutive points to open the period.
“Tonight, we weren’t focused enough,” Embiid said.
Game 6 will take place in Philadelphia on Thursday, one win or another for the 76ers, an opportunity to advance on the Tour.
“We can, if we get some stops,” Butler said. “It’s a tough place to play.”
So is Miami.
Therese Maxi made a deep three-pointer with 1.5secs remaining in third to pull Philadelphia back in 81-66. Whatever hope was left for the 76 at that moment, it did not last long.
The jump from Herro and then five points in a row from Strus was the start of the Miami wave to close the game that opened the fourth. A three-point play from Adebayo pushed the lead to 25, at which point Embiid clearly checked the score was no longer in question.
“It’s only one match,” Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said. “They know it. We know that.”
It’s been a tough night all the way for the Sixers, especially for Embiid – their best player, already wearing a face-fracture protection mask and dealing with a major thumb injury.
Embiid was shaken in the first quarter as he tried to dive into some basic seats while trying to salvage a loose ball. He doubled down shortly thereafter, and grabbed his back.
He remained in the match after that fear.
He also stayed in the match after the next horror which was much worse.
It came midway through the second quarter, when Miami’s DeWayne Deadmon missed a shot and Embiid grabbed the rebound. Didon, rushing for the ball, called her – and ended up pushing her back into Embiid’s masked face.
“It’s very painful,” Embiid said.
Embiid lost the ball and descended with apparent unease, covering his face with both hands. Oladipo received the ball and scored to make it 42-31, but Embiid’s swing was far more important to the 76th than giving up two points. Embiid remained frustrated for several moments, before returning to the Philadelphia bench and being attended to by the doctors.
“It’s tough,” Rivers said. “I think he knew going through all of this that there would be a few times when he got hit in the face. It would happen. … He got up and said he was fine, after a while.”
All of the highlights of the second half come back to Miami, save for one moment that regular DJ Khaled stole on the field.
After the ball came out of the boundary near his seat, Khaled grabbed the ball from a security guard and handed it to Strauss, then headed to the scorer’s table, waving his arms and asking the fans to make some noise. And before returning to his seat on the court, rapper Spoelstra performed a shoulder massage.
“I was humbled to be a part of that moment,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a huge fan there. Over the years, I’ve said hi several times, but this was the best interaction. It was real. That was great.”
Hints
76ers: None of the Philadelphia players played in the 8:18 Final. …Maxi, who has been great for the majority of the series, shot 2 for 10. …George Niang was 0 for 5, all those shots from 3 point range, reminiscent of his 0 for 7 streak stats – all in 3s – in Game 1.
Heat: After shooting 14-for-65 from a 3-point range in Philadelphia (21.5%), the Heat fired 13-for-33 from deep on Tuesday (39.4%). … Miami improved to 18-4 at all times in the home 5s game. …heat swept Philadelphia 46-36. … Miami is one of two unbeaten teams at home in this playoff. Golden State is 5-0.
the odds
Ever in a Best of Seven series, entering this round, the teams that win the first game win the first game 75.6% of the time. First home game winners, 85% of the time. Teams that start a series lead 2-0, 92.4% of the time. And teams that win Game 5 for a 3-2 series advance 82.2% of the time. All of these stats favor Miami, obviously.
Silver Hits
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the game, seated with Ahmed Rashad — whose ties to the league go back decades, primarily during his years as host and executive producer for “NBA Inside Stuff.” Also in the crowd: NBA champion Mike Miller of the Heat, longtime baseball star, Miami native and Minnesota Timberwolves minority owner Alex Rodriguez.
next one
Game six on Thursday in Philadelphia.