The Miami Heat Torch the 76ers 120-85, Take a 3-2 Series Lead
With the back-and-forth conference semi-final series tied at 2-2, Tuesday night’s Game 5 between the Heat and the Sixers was a pivotal moment in the second-round matchup. Coming into the contest, it looked like Philadelphia held the momentum having won back-to-back games at home after the return of their All-NBA center, Joel Embiid. However, Game 5 was at FTX Arena in Miami and the home team had won each of the first four games. That trend continued Tuesday as the Heat were able to dismantle the Sixers by 35 points in Miami’s highest scoring (and most efficient) offensive performance of the postseason.
The Heat were finally able to find the range as they shot 39.4% from three, a huge leap up from the 21.5% rate that they mailed in over the two-game span in Games 3 and 4. That was the first time since 2017 that the Heat shot under 25% in back-to-back games, so at least some improvement was to be expected on Tuesday. It was much more characteristic of a Miami team that shot 38% from beyond the arc during the regular season. Game 5 was an identity game for Miami, as seven players scored in double figures, fueled by ferocious defense and led by Jimmy Butler.
Butler, who’s 23 points all seemed to come at just the right moments, added nine rebounds and six assists to his personal stat sheet for the evening. He’s been Miami’s heart and soul in this playoff run, and has an engine that never stops running in high gear.
Max Strus looked like the Strus that earned a starting spot at the end of this season, rebounding from a four-point sputtering in Game 4 to score 19 points in Game 5 and tack on 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the playoffs.
Everyone for the Heat seemed to be able to find their spots effortlessly all night. Tyler Herro, who scored ten points, looked much more comfortable handling traps and pressures off pick-and-rolls that frustrated him earlier in the series. P.J. Tucker (10 points, seven assists) was able to drift to his sweet spot in the right corner for a pair of threes and has shot 11 for 16 from that spot in the postseason.
The Heat just looked like the more physical, up-tempo team and were able to execute their sets after some adjustments to Philadelphia’s stifling defense during the prior two games. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said, “We were really committed to making multiple efforts. You can have a game plan and it can look great going through a walk-through or in a film session or on the chalkboard. But when you put it out to the wood, there’s going to be a bunch of things that just don’t turn out the way you thought because of that talent. We’ve had to adjust some things as the series goes on, and that’s what’s required right now.”
The Sixers, on the other hand, looked like a shadow of the team that had carved out two home wins in Philadelphia to tie the series. Maybe it was an early first half knock to the face that rattled Embiid, maybe it was news that Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic was about to beat him out for MVP, but Joel Embiid didn’t play nearly as forcefully as we’re used to seeing. At times it seemed like he was avoiding contact, content to hover outside the lane and take fade away jump shots.
As a result, Bam Adebayo and the Heat feasted in the paint, out scoring Philadelphia 56-36 under the rim and outrebounding them by ten. The Sixers' deep stable of three-point shooters finally went cold, plummeting to 28.5% three-point shooting after drilling a jaw dropping 48.5% in both Game 3 and Game 4.
Embiid was the highest scoring Sixer at 17 points and he didn’t get much help. Only two other players, James Harden (14) and Tobias Harris (12), scored in double figures. It was the first time since February 19th that every Sixer was held to less than 20 points.
A huge factor in this low-scoring output was the decrease in free throw attempts for Philadelphia. Embiid and Harden, who combine to shoot over 17 free throws per game on average, shot only three each in Tuesday night's loss. As a team they shot 14 for 15 from the charity stripe while Miami went 17 for 23.
Embiid said after the game, “Sometimes your body…won’t allow you to be yourself.” The all-world big man was not his usual MVP caliber self on Tuesday and it's hard to blame him. His orbital injury is no joke and playing in that mask takes away a lot more than people realize. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, if he doesn’t make a huge recovery in time for Game 6 on Thursday, it could be curtains for the fourth-seeded Sixers. There is still hope for them yet, as still neither team has been defeated on their home court in this series.
It's unclear whether or not injured point guard Kyle Lowry will return for Miami in Game 6. He’s a key piece to their playoff hopes, but Gabe Vincent and Victor Oladipo have filled in seamlessly in his absence. No matter who suits up, Jimmy Butler will have them ready to rock in true Miami fashion. The Heat will travel to Philadelphia and take on the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center for a possible do-or-die Game 6 on Thursday night at 7 p.m. EST.
