Instant Replay: Heat 101, Sixers 86

Share

BOX SCORE

The Sixers and Heat are two teams at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

Even when the Heat are struggling they look like they can get whatever they want offensively, while the Sixers look like they have troubling just getting the ball in the net no matter how hard they are playing at times.

Both of those sides were evident Friday night when the Sixers were handed a 101-86 loss by the Heat. Miami’s victory snapped a three-game losing skid.

Turning point
Miami decided during its practice Thursday how this game would be won and it was at the defensive end of the floor.

The Heat held the Sixers to 36.9 shooting from the field and just 10.0 percent from three-point range. They also forced the Sixers into 23 turnovers, which resulted into 25 points.

Follow the leader
Chris Bosh had the hot hand for Miami right from the start. Bosh led the Heat with 25 points.

LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Dwyane Wade scored eight points in 22 minutes.

Tony Wroten led the Sixers with 13 points. Spencer Hawes had his 14th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Thaddeus Young had 10 points, as well.

Stat-egic
Ray Allen came into Friday night shooting 3 for 23 over his last three games. He is now 4 of 30, including 1 of 16 from three-point range, in his last four games after going 1 for 7 against the Sixers.

That is difficult to comprehend for a guy that has shot 45.2 percent from the floor during his illustrious career and 40.0 percent from behind the arc.

Take a bow
The Sixers’ bench played hard and kept the team from being blown out in the second half. Hollis Thompson had 10 points and six rebounds. Newcomer Dewayne Dedmon scored his first-ever NBA field goal on his way to finishing with seven points and seven rebounds.

The group totaled 44 points and helped the Sixers win the final quarter, 25-22.

Health check
Lavoy Allen missed his fourth straight game Friday. However, after missing the first three with a right calf strain, the forward sat out against the Heat because of a sore left knee.

Sixers head coach Brett Brown said the injury is “not serious” and added that Allen is probable for Saturday’s game against Chicago.

What’s next?
The Sixers travel to face the Bulls on Saturday. Both teams are in back-to-back situations with the Bulls losing the Washington Wizards on Friday.

The Sixers beat the Bulls to extend their season-opening win streak to three games back on Nov. 2. Michael Carter-Williams had a double-double with 26 points and 10 assists in a 107-104 victory.

Derrick Rose had just 13 points in that matchup and committed eight turnovers. Luol Deng had 20 points and seven rebounds, but he has since been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Contact Us