Man oh man has this series been fun. The physicality on both ends of the floor for both teams tested both ball clubs. The Sixers pulled off another stellar blowout win against Miami tonight really energizing themselves in the second half to finish out the game with a 128-108 victory.
Going into the game tonight, the Sixers needed to amplify their style of play after a poor 19.4% shooting performance from beyond the arc in game two at home. Tonight, the Sixers matched their franchise playoff record with 18 made threes (52.9% shooting from beyond). Oh, and by the way, Joel Embiid is back.
Home court advantage reclaimed ✅ pic.twitter.com/8I9o7TLZHj
— The Phifth Quarter (@ThePhifthQ) April 20, 2018
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Prior to Embiids return, which made coach Brett Brown “so proud”, the Sixers were lights out on the fast break averaging about 17 points per game, including contributing 17 fast break points in game two. However, tonight was a different story with the Sixers only dropping in seven points on the break.
(3)76ers defeat (6)Heat 128-108
(PHI: Embiid 23 Pts, Simmons 19 Pts 12 Reb 7 Ast)
(MIA: Dragic 23 Pts 8 Ast, Winslow 19 Pts 10 Reb)
PHI Leads Series 2-1 pic.twitter.com/fkk3cBcQpn
— T/L Sports Media (@TLSportsMedia) April 20, 2018
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The reason that this isn’t a concern is due to the emphatic play in the paint outscoring Miami in that category 36-22. Dwayne Wade was silent this evening shooting 2-10 from the floor. Since his return to Miami, he has only scored 20+ points in only four contests prior to the playoffs.
The Sixers spark came from Saric and Belinelli each contributing 21 points along with 4 triples each. If you watched the game, you could see the intensity in Dario’s eyes as well as him screaming to his teammates on the defensive end on the floor.
By the way, one can’t forget the phenomenal walking triple double man that is Ben Simmons. Another dominant performance from the potential rookie of the year adds up to 19 points on 6-13 shooting as well as hauling in 12 boards and 7 dimes. With Embiid on the floor, the Sixers will be able to spread the ball more in the half-court to get the best shot possible.
As long as Embiid is on the floor, expect this type of performance going forward. My prediction will have this series end in Philadelphia for game five. Check out The Phifth Quarter Podcast on Wildfire Radio (wildfireradio.com) on Monday night at 9:15pm to hear our take on this series following Saturdays game at 2:30.
