Field Level Media
Dec 18, 2019
Kendrick Nunn scored 26 points, Bam Adebayo added 23, and the visiting Miami Heat defeated the 76ers 108-104 on Wednesday, snapping Philadelphia's season-long home winning streak.
At 14-0, the 76ers had been the last unbeaten home team in the league.
Duncan Robinson contributed 15 points and Jimmy Butler had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Heat, who had been blown out 113-86 in their first meeting with the 76ers this season in Philadelphia on Nov. 23.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 22 points and 19 rebounds while Tobias Harris added 20 points. Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson had 17 apiece.
The Heat led by 16 points in the fourth quarter but saw the margin cut to four before Derrick Jones Jr. made a clutch 3-pointer to make it 104-97 with 1:08 remaining.
Embiid came back with a pair of baskets, and the Sixers trailed 104-101 with 47.9 seconds left.
Butler hit two free throws, and the Heat moved ahead 106-101 with 33.9 seconds left.
Harris responded with a trey from the corner to pull the 76ers within 106-104.
Nunn missed both free throws with 12.7 seconds left, but Philadelphia's Al Horford misfired on a 3-point attempt.
Adebayo sealed the win with two free throws with 1.5 seconds remaining.
The Heat erased an early 12-point deficit to take their first lead, 47-46, when Jones knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:35 left in the second quarter.
Miami held a 56-48 advantage at halftime thanks to a 27-7 run to close the quarter. Adebayo paced the Heat with 14 first-half points.
Harris led the Sixers with 11 points before the break while Embiid grabbed 11 rebounds, but Philadelphia was just 5 of 22 from 3-point territory.
After Miami scored the first five points in the fourth quarter, the edge ballooned to 87-74. Robinson later hit a deep 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down, and the Heat led 92-78.
With the Sixers trailing 96-80, Embiid converted a three-point play. But Nunn banked in a 3-pointer from 25 feet as the shot clock expired with 7:09 left for a 99-83 Heat advantage.
The Sixers then responded with an 8-0 run to get within eight with 3:36 remaining. Richardson made a trey with 2:13 left to cut the lead to 101-97.
--Field Level Media