Sixers Veteran Reveals Main Motivation Behind Major Showing vs. Heat

Nic Batum didn't want the Philadelphia 76ers to have an extra game before the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Cameron Payne (22) reacts / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Battling against the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament, the Philadelphia 76ers struggled to maintain their early control of the matchup.

Throughout the first half, the Sixers turned the ball over 12 times while shooting 33 percent from the field. They trailed the Heat 51-39 through the first two quarters.

The home crowd was booing its team, and the Sixers desperately needed a spark. Nic Batum, who scored just three points in 11 minutes during the first half, became the Sixers’ fire-starter in the second half.

“That was the biggest game,” Batum said on Wednesday night after the matchup.

Wednesday’s battle for the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed wasn’t do-or-die. A loss would allow the Sixers to battle for the eighth seed on Friday night against the Chicago Bulls.

Despite having a little cushion, Batum did everything in his power to make sure the Sixers punched their ticket to the playoffs as early as Wednesday night. After the game, he revealed his honest motivation behind becoming the team’s biggest spark in his final 17 minutes.

“Even though if we still lose that game we get another chance Friday — but I think that was my main motivation — I didn’t want to play Friday. I needed those two days,” Batum said with a laugh. “That was a big team win. The crowd was into it. We played bad in the first half, and their zone is really something. We did a good job, we adjusted, and we were more aggressive in the second half.”

Batum attempted a team-high ten shots from the field in the second half. Eight of those shots came from beyond the arc. From deep, Batum hit on five of his eight attempts, and he shot 60 percent from the field overall. The veteran scored 17 points as the Sixers put together a 66-53 rally in the second half, allowing them to pull off a one-point comeback win over Miami.

He finished the game with 20 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.

Batum and the Sixers get their much-needed few days of rest. On Saturday, the Sixers will be back out on the court at Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the first round series.