Bem Adebayo caught a throw in the middle of the fourth quarter and then threw a shot to Jimmy Butler for another dunk about a minute later.
Both were very easy.
Joel Embide could complicate these games in the future – and the Miami Heat head north, expecting him to be able to expect them.
Adebayo scored 23 points, Butler scored 22 points and gave 12 assists, and on Wednesday night Heath beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-103 and led 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“It’s always nice to win,” Butler said. “We just did what we had to do at home.”
Victor Aladzipo scored 19 points on his 30th birthday, and Tyler Era added 18 for the Heath, seeded No. 1 East. In the fourth quarter, Oladip scored 10 of those points.
Tyris Maxi scored 34 points for Philadelphia, which won 21 from Tobias Harris and 20 from James Harden.
“We just need to go back to the drawing board and try to figure it out,” Maxi said.
The 10-0 series in the fourth turned Miami’s eight-point lead to 18 points, securing the win and ensuring that the Heath would hold the home ground before the series moved north. Game 3 on Friday in Philadelphia.
And now “Heath” hopes that history will continue – and 76ers hope not.
Miami led 2-0 in 18 previous series, including in the first round of this season against Atlanta, and each time won the match. The 76ers franchise missed the first two games in 19 other cases and never recovered to win the series.
The question, which will take place on Friday, will revolve around whether Embid can be ready for Game 3. League champion and MVP finalist is recovering after an orbital fracture and concussion and, not surprisingly, the 76ers missed him very much.
“We don’t have a big man right now,” said Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers.
Adebayo, of course, is not complaining. He was 8 on 10 off the field and 8 on 8 off the line in Game 1; he followed this from a 7-to-11 night off the floor on Wednesday.
But he said he was preparing as if Embid would play on Friday. And Butler, who has been close with Embiid since they were teammates in Philadelphia, hopes his MVP pick will be able to play in the series.
“I want to compete with him,” Butler said. “I really do.”
However, it was not only the absence of Embidio that damaged Philadelphia. The 76ers were again horrible with a distance of 3 points, shooting 8 on 30 in Game 2. They are now 14 on 64 from the deep series.
“When it comes to that, you have to make punches, especially if you’re on the road against a really good team,” Harden said. “It’s pretty simple.”
Danny Green was 1 on 10 off the field – the second time in his career of the playoffs when he had so many attempts and so bad in a post-season match. The second? In 2013 for San Antonio 1 on 12, also in Miami, the night Heath won his third and final NBA title.
The heat is not yet close to that. But these are two victories in the final of the East.
“It’s not easy to win the playoffs.” Said heat coach Eric Spoelstra. “We had great stretches, especially in defense. We had some very good segments in the offensive. … Our defense really led us to victory, but we had some really timely offensive games. “
PARAVED
76ers: Harden received a foul during a 3-point attempt 0.1 seconds before the end of the half, making all three free throws to get Philadelphia within 60-52 at the break. … Maxi got a cut on his right knee in the fourth quarter, the game temporarily stopped while the 76ers took care of him. He stayed in the game. … Georges Niango had another unusual line of statistics. He was 0 for 7 – all 3 points – in Game 1 and then fouls in 10 minutes of Game 2. It was the fourth of the lowest minutes of the season for anyone who fouled.
Heat: PJ Tuckeru turns 37 on Thursday. … It was the 497th consecutive sold-out series announced by Heat, making Sacramento the fifth longest running series in NBA history. The record belongs to Dallas, which has 864 in a row sold out and counting. … Miami held a rebound 44-34.
PASS PAT
After the victory, Spoelstra’s post-season record improved to 91-59 (0.607). Among coaches who have played at least 100 games in the playoffs, he ranked fourth on the NBA’s win percentage, behind only Steve Kerr (0.732), Phil Jackson (0.688) and Billy Cunningham (00629). Coach Spoelstra handed in a win percentage on Wednesday night? That would be his boss, Heat President Pat Riley, who got 171-111 (.606).
KENTUKI SOUTH
Ties in Kentucky dragged on Wednesday night. Wildcats coach John Calipari was on Game 2 to see how Hero officially received the sixth man award. Other former Kentucky players in the Heat and 76ers: Adebayo, Maxey and Heat, two-way player Michael Mulder. And Riley played in Kentucky.
NEXT
Game 3 on Friday in Philadelphia.
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Adebayo, Butler leads the Heat by beating the 76ers 119-103 in Game 2
