MIAMI -- — Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Miami Heat topped the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers ...
There's going to be more of this. The "Heat" is in a no-win position. If they take the series, it's gonna be, "Yeah, you wouldn't have won if Embiid had played." And that is probably true, that's the rub. As when the team made it to the Finals in 2020 it was discounted as a "bubble team." (I think that was more true than not.)
The 76ers were without Joel Embiid, the MVP finalist who isn't even in Miami while recovering from an orbital fracture and concussion...
And as would be expected, he was missed. ...
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TIP-INS
76ers: Philadelphia fell to 6-9 without Embiid this season.
The casters pointed out Erik Spoelstra's defensive strategy: Miami pressed full-court, you rarely see that at this level, more full-hearted in presence, less in pressure. That more and less worked. They wanted to make James Harden work all 94 feet. James is an old head and he's the "Sixers" de facto point guard, he runs their offense and its physically and mentally draining to play offense and defense full-court.
Kenny Smith on the desk at half-time, after some mindless, needless special effects, showed Doc Rivers' strategy (the two coaches are elite game planners). Play zone to compensate for no Joel, make the "Heat" shoot from outside; if they try to penetrate deny the entry pass to gum up the works, and it did. Twice Jimmy and PJ were bunched together and the ball bounced off one or both out of bounds. And when they do dare penetrate they get stripped by all those long arms and quick hands. Spo seemed unprepared for this effective zone. Duncan Robinson played donut minutes in the game and the bombardiers Spo did play (except Tyler: 4/5 from range) shot blanks: Oladipo 0/5, Vincent 1/7, the Composer 1/7, C-Mart 0/3. Then to further mess with Spo's head Doc switched to man defense. It all worked for the second half of the first half.
James did not have a good game: 16 points on 5/13 (2/7) 5 assists and 5 turnovers. Tobias Harris had a great game, until you look at his +/- : 27 points 11/18 (1/4), 6 rebounds, 3 t.o.s. A tie for team-worst at -25 with...Electric Maxey: 19 6/15 (1/6) 2 assists, 2 t.o.'s. By contrast James was a -8.
Neither team could shoot, Phila was 43% (17.6%), Miami 43.5% (25%).