Ben Simmons had the first playoffs triple-double by a rookie in nearly 40 years, JJ Redick scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Miami Heat, 106-102, on Saturday to move within a victory of the second round.
The 76ers lead the Eastern Conference series 3-1 and can close out the Heat when play resumes in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.
Simmons became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to post a playoffs triple-double – 17 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists. Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia.
Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points off the bench for the Heat, who led by 12 in the second half before letting a game they almost certainly had to have slip away.
Wade carried the comeback effort, with the Heat down six and less than two minutes left. His 3-point play cut the margin in half and his next two field goals got Miami within one each time.
The Heat got no closer.
Goran Dragic scored 20, James Johnson had 15 and Hassan Whiteside finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, who now need to pull off some history. The Heat have erased a 3-1 deficit only once, in 1997 against New York.
Miami held slim leads at the half – 2-0 in players who went to the locker room injured, 4-0 in stitches received, 61-56 on the scoreboard.
A wild scene was the story of the second quarter. Philadelphia’s Dario Saric was driving from the right wing and had his dribble knocked away by Justise Winslow, and four players wound up on the floor as they went for the loose ball. Josh Richardson took the worst of it, getting slammed into by Embiid. Richardson stayed down for more than a minute, eventually helped to his feet and to the Miami locker room.
Hardly anyone noticed.
All eyes were on the other end, where Dragic was shoved to the floor by Robert Covington. James Johnson – a black belt and MMA fighter – took exception and went toward Covington, so Simmons came in for a few words.
It wound up taking two referees, two Heat coaches and a few players to get everyone separated.
Winslow needed stitches to close a gash over his left eye. Richardson, his left shoulder bruised, came back for the second half. Simmons sent another message moments after the dustup by drilling Wade.
Miami led by 12 in the third, but ceded control in a hurry. The Heat went five minutes without scoring, and Redick’s reverse layup with 9:01 left capped a 14-0 run that put Philadelphia up 87-83.
The 76ers wouldn’t trail again.
TIP-INS
76ers: Embiid went out for a play in the fourth quarter without his mask, drawing a foul, then getting the mask back on … Philadelphia finished with 27 turnovers, 17 of those in the first half – after not having more than 14 in any of the first three games of the series.
Heat: Richardson had a Heat playoffs-record seven steals. Wade and LeBron James were the only other Heat players with six steals in a playoffs game before Saturday … Miami started 1-for-6 from the foul line, and finished 13-for-25 … Tyler Johnson, playing with a bandage on the left thumb he injured in the opening seconds of Game 3, logged 13 minutes and took only one shot.
REBOUND ROUT
Philadelphia dominated the backboards, 57-43, and extending possessions time and time again with 17 offensive rebounds.
SECOND HALVES
Philadelphia has outscored Miami after halftime in all four games: 74-43 in Game 1, 61-57 in Game 2, 65-44 in Game 3 and 50-41 on Saturday.
UP NEXT
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Courtesy: NBA.com
