GRADES: Sixers burned by Heat in statement game

After a tough loss in Indiana, the Sixers looked to rebound against the Heat. Many analysts declared this a “statement game”. If that was the case, a playoff matchup versus the Heat does not look good for Philadelphia.

After not playing in Indiana, Joel Embiid started this game, and he looked to score early and often. He could not find his rhythm though, perhaps due to lingering symptoms of his illness.  His frustration throughout the first quarter was due to aggressive double teams by the Heat and some sketchy calls from the refs. He even got into a verbal confrontation with Trevor Ariza, where they were given the technical fouls. If there was a bright spot, it was the consistent scoring of Tobias Harris.

Harris made it a point to post up opponents early and executed his early offense. Whether it was Jimmy Butler or Kendrick Nunn, Harris used his savvy mid range game to his advantage. Unfortunately, his former teammate Butler, was also aggressive with his offense.

In the first half, Jimmy Butler put on a clinic, scoring at will and from every area on the floor. He produced points as if his middle name was “Buckets”. He could have sat this game after getting poked in the eye recently, but he came out to send a message. The Heat were in the NBA Finals last year, and if the Sixers want to take that crown from them, they would have to stop him and his team.

The intensity of this game mirrored that have a playoff game. Emotions ran high again when Udonis Haslem was ejected for a scuffle with Dwight Howard. Haslem, to his credit, scored a couple of baskets and drew an offensive foul in his final home game as a long time Heat player.

Danny Green and Seth Curry had a quiet first half, not scoring enough to help keep pace with the Heat. One of their 3-point specialists, Tyler Herro, could not miss and kept the Sixers at a distance with his sharp shooting. With hopes of injecting offense, the bench of Philadelphia gave some life, but it wasn’t enough as the halftime score saw Miami with a 19 point lead.

The start of the second half was much of the same, unfortunately. Miami had more energy and was able to execute their offense with ease. The rebounding advantage stayed with the Heat as they were able to control the boards at will. Bam Adebayo was determined to assert himself against Joel Embiid, outplaying him in the paint. Miami’s center showed his versatility and value against Philadelphia’s MVP candidate. Adebayo would flirt with a triple double against Embiid.

Danny Green and Seth Curry found their stroke in the third quarter. Tobias Harris cooled off, but he still contributed while Embiid wallowed in frustration. The embarrassment on TNT continued, as Miami extended their 3-point shooting attempts to 27 versus the Sixers 17. This was a concern during our recent podcast discussion, where the Sixers rank toward the bottom of the league in 3-point tries per game.

With Embiid and Simmons neutralized by Miami’s stingy defense, the 76ers had no shot on this night. Even the bench, who had been clicking lately, showed minimal fight versus a Miami team focused on claiming the fifth spot in the playoff standings.

As Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo played as efficiently as two stars can play, the message is loud and clear – Milwaukee and Brooklyn are not the only teams Philadelphia has to worry about in the playoffs.

Grades from the Sixers’ botched attempt to secure the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Miami stood in the way, and Philadelphia wasn’t prepared.

25 mins | 6 pts |  2 reb | 1 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 4 TO | 3-9 FG | 0-2 3PT| 0-1 FT | 3 PF | -17

Joel Embiid did not play like an MVP this night. He was frustrated by double teams on each possession. No matter how hard he tried, Miami had an answer. If he sees the Heat again in the playoffs, he must be ready for their swarming defense.

26 mins | 8 pts | 1 reb | 6 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 3-6 FG | 0-0 3PT| 2-2 FT | 4 PF | -14

For all of his defensive praise throughout the season, Ben Simmons did not record one block or one steal the entire game. Although he drove to the basket and converted on a few buckets, he was ineffective in any other offensive capacity. On a night when Embiid was lost in the offense, it would’ve been nice if Simmons had stepped up. Unfortunately, this game could foreshadow what is to come as teams like Miami disregard Simmons’ perimeter ability.

30 mins | 21 pts | 4 reb | 1 ast | 1 stl | 1 blk | 1 TO | 8-17 FG | 0-4 3PT| 5-6 FT | 0 PF | -19

Tobias Harris carried the load for the Sixers in this game. If it wasn’t for him, the embarrassment would’ve been much worse. He got to his spots and converted on some nice baskets. Although he failed to make a three point shot, Harris gave more than what Philadelphia’s other two stars gave the entire game.

23 mins | 12 pts | 4 reb | 2 ast | 2 stl | 0 blk | 1 TO | 4-8 FG | 0-1 3PT| 4-7 FT | 1 PF | -7

Shake Milton had missed several games with an injury, and he looked to get back into the swing of things in this matchup. He had to shake off the rust early, but then he found some life in his game. It wasn’t enough though, and he found himself in the second unit trying to climb out of a hole dug by the starters.

25 mins | 8 pts | 3 reb | 1 ast | 0 stl | 0 blk | 2 TO | 3-6 FG | 2-4 3PT| 0-0 FT | 2 PF | -6

Seth Curry didn’t have the worst shooting night, but one could argue that he did not shoot enough. For him to be a factor in the playoffs, he has to be more aggressive and attempt more 3-pointers. If not, then Embiid’s interior game will surely suffer, and it could be an early exit again for the Sixers.

The Sixers play their next game on Friday night against the Orlando Magic. Tip off will be at 8 PM ET at the Wells Fargo Center.