NBA playoffs: 76ers fall to Heat 119-103; Miami leads series 2-0

Each had been very straightforward.

Joel Embiid might complicate these performs going ahead – and the Miami Warmth are heading north anticipating that he could be ready for them.

Adebayo scored 23 factors, Butler had 22 factors and 12 assists, and the Warmth beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 on Wednesday night time for a 2-0 lead within the Japanese Convention semifinals.

“It is at all times good to win,” Butler mentioned. “We simply did what we’re purported to do at house.”

Victor Oladipo scored 19 factors on his thirtieth birthday and Tyler Herro added 18 for the Warmth, the East’s No. 1 seed. Oladipo had 10 of these factors within the fourth quarter.

Tyrese Maxey scored 34 factors for Philadelphia, which bought 21 from Tobias Harris and 20 from James Harden.

“We have simply bought to return to the drafting board and attempt to determine it out,” Maxey mentioned.

A ten-0 run within the fourth turned an eight-point Miami lead into an 18-point edge, sealing the win and guaranteeing the Warmth would maintain house court docket earlier than the sequence shifts north. Sport 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.

And now, the Warmth will hope historical past holds – and the 76ers will hope it does not.

Miami has taken a 2-0 lead in 18 earlier sequence, together with the primary spherical this season in opposition to Atlanta, and received the matchup each time. The 76ers’ franchise has dropped the primary two video games of a matchup on 19 different events, by no means recovering to win the sequence.

The query going into Friday will revolve round whether or not Embiid might be prepared for Sport 3. The league’s scoring champion and MVP finalist is recovering from an orbital fracture and concussion and has, not surprisingly, been big-time missed by the 76ers.

“We do not have an enormous man proper now,” Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers lamented.

Adebayo certainly is not complaining. He was 8 for 10 from the sector and eight for 8 from the road in Sport 1; he adopted that up with a 7-for-11 night time from the ground on Wednesday.

However he mentioned he is making ready as if Embiid will play Friday. And Butler, who’s shut with Embiid from their time collectively as teammates in Philadelphia, is hoping his MVP choose can play within the sequence.

“I need to compete in opposition to him,” Butler mentioned. “I actually do.”

Rivers, nevertheless, did not sound optimistic about the potential of Embiid being prepared.

“He is bought so many steps to undergo,” Rivers mentioned. “I do not assume he is cleared any of them proper now.”

It wasn’t simply the absence of Embiid, although, that damage Philadelphia. The 76ers had been terrible once more from 3-point vary, taking pictures 8 for 30 in Sport 2. They’re now 14 for 64 from deep within the sequence.

“When it comes all the way down to it, you have to make photographs, particularly while you’re on the street in opposition to a very good crew,” Harden mentioned. “It is fairly easy.”

Danny Inexperienced was 1 for 10 from the sector – the second time in his playoff profession that he had that many makes an attempt and shot that poorly in a postseason sport. The opposite? A 1-for-12 effort for San Antonio in 2013, additionally in Miami, the night time the Warmth received their third and most up-to-date NBA title.

The Warmth aren’t near that but. However they’re two wins from the East finals.

“It is not straightforward to get playoff wins.” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned. “We had some nice stretches, notably defensively. We had some actually good stretches offensively. … Our protection actually carried us to the win, however we had some actually well timed offensive performs.”

TIP-INS

76ers: Harden bought fouled on a 3-point attempt with 0.1 seconds left within the half, making all three free throws to get Philadelphia inside 60-52 on the break. … Maxey bought a lower on his proper knee within the fourth quarter, the sport stopping quickly whereas the 76ers tended to him. He stayed within the sport. … Georges Niang had one other uncommon stat line. He was 0 for 7 – all 3-pointers – in Sport 1, then fouled out in 10 minutes of Sport 2. It was the fourth-fewest minutes performed all season by anybody who fouled out.

Warmth: PJ Tucker turns 37 on Thursday. … It was the 497th consecutive sellout introduced by the Warmth, tying Sacramento for the fifth-longest streak in NBA historical past. The file is held by Dallas, which has 864 consecutive sellouts and counting. … Miami held a 44-34 rebounding edge.

PASSING PAT

With the win, Spoelstra’s postseason file improved to 91-59 (.607). Amongst coaches with at the very least 100 playoff video games, he moved into fourth on the NBA’s win-percentage record behind solely Steve Kerr (.732), Phil Jackson (.688) and Billy Cunningham (.629). The coach Spoelstra handed in profitable proportion Wednesday night time? That may be his boss, Warmth President Pat Riley, who went 171-111 (.606).

KENTUCKY SOUTH

The Kentucky ties ran deep Wednesday night time. Wildcats coach John Calipari was at Sport 2 to see Herro formally obtain the Sixth Man award. Different former Kentucky gamers on the Warmth and 76ers: Adebayo, Maxey and Warmth two-way participant Mychal Mulder. And Riley performed at Kentucky.

UP NEXT

Sport 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.

The Related Press contributed to this report.