Inside the 6-minute stretch that sank the Heat against the 76ers, and what happens next
The Miami Heat have now lost four of five and are losing ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Heat led the Sixers by four after the first quarter. The defense was shaky but their offense was holding things together by shooting 63%, making 3 of 7 from 3-point range, including a Victor Oladipo swish at the buzzer to cap off the first 12 minutes of the game. The Sixers role players were making shots but James Harden was held to just two points and an assist in his first 8 minutes while Joel Embiid was sidelined with a sore left foot.
It turned out that the offensive performance over the last five quarters against these 76ers was a house of cards, and it collapsed in the second quarter en route to Miami’s 119-96 loss to kick off this all-important homestand.
Max Strus sank a corner 3 at the 10:06 mark of the second quarter to put the Heat up 43-39. It would be Miami’s last made 3-pointer until there were under nine minuets to go in the game — more than 25 minutes of game time without a made 3 that included 13 straight misses from distance, and it felt like more. That Strus 3 was also the last field goal the Heat would make for nearly six whole minutes, until Bam Adebayo bailed out a possession with a fadeaway jumper with 4:31 to go.
In those six minutes, the Heat’s four-point lead flipped to a 13-point deficit. Four Adebayo free throws were all Miami could muster as the offense stalled against Philadelphia’s small-ball defense. The Heat failed to get dribble penetration as the 76ers’ switching defense built a wall in front of the rim.
The Heat yawned through 11 possessions that ultimately cost them the game. Kevin Love air-balled a pair of 3s and dribbled out the clock for a 24 second violation to end three possessions. Caleb Martin threw the ball into the backcourt to end another. Victor Oladipo had his dribble stolen by Jalen McDaniels before the Heat could even get into their offense on another.
Meanwhile, Harden got going, scoring eight points on a pair of 3s and free throws. Backup center Paul Reed dominated with six points, five rebounds and a block during this stretch.
By the time Adebayo re-entered with 8:40 left in the quarter, the 76ers had already scored 10 straight to take a six-point lead. When Butler entered with 7:28 left, Philadelphia’s lead was at seven.
It could be easy to point to Erik Spoelstra going 5 1/2 minutes without either of his two best players on the court as the reason for the 76ers run, but then it’s also important to note that with both Adebayo and Butler in the game, the Heat scored just nine points in nearly 7 1/2 second-quarter minutes.
They clawed their way to within 11 in the third quarter, only to give up a 9-0 run and sink back into a 20-point hole. Hardly anything went right for the Heat for the last three quarters. Butler took just eight shots and four free throws in the game. Herro, Gabe Vincent and Strus combined to miss 16 of their 19 3-point attempts. They got out-rebounded and forced just eight turnovers — key factors in their winning formula.
“We’ve shown that we can be the very best against anybody anywhere, and then we’ve also shown this,” Spoelstra said.
The Heat arrived to Miami-Dade Arena on Wednesday needing a strong performance to begin this critical six-game homestand. Monday’s win in Philadelphia snapped a four-game skid and suggested a run could be coming. Instead, those five quarters were an outlier. The Heat have now lost four of their last five, with games against the Knicks, Hawks and Cavaliers upcoming.
“All the answers that we want are in that locker room,” Spoelstra said.
It’s a familiar message for a coach trying to coax the most of his team. The buyout market additions of Love and Cody Zeller have changed the look of this team but not the inconsistent results. The decision to replace Caleb Martin with Love in the starting lineup has yet to pay dividends. Time is running out for Miami’s shooters to find their stroke.
Chances are the Heat will at least make the play-in tournament. If they can hold off the Hawks and the Nets continue to slide, the No. 6 seed is still in reach. Wednesday’s loss is not a nail in a coffin, but it is further evidence that these Heat are not as good as last season’s Eastern Conference finals team.
“It’s a sustainability that we have not been able to wrap our hands around this season,” Spoelstra said.
If the answers are not in the Heat’s locker room now, they will have to look elsewhere for answers this summer.