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76ers 100, Heat 87
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MIAMI — With the Miami Heat locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Philadelphia 76ers’ lottery position already sealed, their meeting on the final night of the regular season did not carry as much significance as other games around the NBA.
Nonetheless, they played the game, and with two-thirds of the Heat’s Big 3 sitting out, the 76ers beat the Heat 100-87 on Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami finished the regular season with a three-game losing streak, but the Heat’s greater concern is the postseason, where they will face the No. 7 Charlotte Bobcats in a first-round series that begins at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Miami.
The Heat would then play the winner of the Nos. 3-6 matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets. Miami went 0-4 during the regular season against Brooklyn.
Philadelphia pulled away in the third quarter. With the score tied earlier in the quarter, the Sixers ended up leading by 18 after the quarter thanks to a 19-4 run.
Forward Thaddeus Young led the 76ers with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Six Sixers scored in double figures, including guard Michael Carter-Williams with 12 points.
Wednesday’s loss marked second time this season the two-time defending champion Heat fell to the lowly Sixers. They also lost in Philadelphia on Oct. 30 in the second game of the regular season.
Miami finished the regular season with a 29-14 record against opponents below .500 but with just 13 losses against winning teams.
Philadelphia led Miami 55-51 at halftime with both Young and guard James Anderson already in double figures with 10 points apiece.
Guard Dwyane Wade played 16 of his 23 minutes in the first half, scoring 14 of his 16 points to lead Miami. He did not play in the fourth quarter.
Miami guards Toney Douglas and Ray Allen added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh sat out.
The 76ers finished the first quarter on a 10-0 run to turn an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead. Philadelphia led by as many as nine points in the first half.
NOTES: C Greg Oden returned to the Heat after not being with the team on Monday night against the Washington Wizards because of a stomach virus and back spasms. He was active on Wednesday and played for the first time since a March 26 meeting with the Indiana Pacers. … With the playoffs on the horizon, F LeBron James, F/C Chris Bosh, C Chris Andersen and G Mario Chalmers were all inactive (rest). … G Michael Carter-Williams finishes the season as the leader among rookies in points, rebounds and assists per game. He is only the third rookie in NBA history to do so. … The 76ers finish with the second-worst record in the NBA. They will have a 19.9 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick and will have a first-round selection no lower than fifth.
