76ers 98-91 Warmth (Mar 18, 2024) Sport Recap – ESPN

Kelly Oubre Jr. drives alongside the baseline and fights by way of contact for a layup.
PHILADELPHIA — — Tyrese Maxey had 30 factors and 10 assists and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 22 factors and 11 rebounds to assist the Philadelphia 76ers maintain off the Miami Heat 98-91 Monday evening in a possible preview of an NBA play-in match recreation.
Kyle Lowry survived a hard tumble over the scorer’s desk and scored 16 factors for the Sixers in his first recreation towards the Warmth since they traded him in January.
Bam Adebayo had 20 factors and 13 rebounds for the Warmth. Terry Rozier III scored 20 factors.
The Warmth trailed by 14 factors getting into the fourth, however went on a 20-8 run and tied the sport at 85 on Caleb Martin’s dunk. Buddy Hield snapped the tie with 3-pointer and Lowry hit a 3 to assist the Sixers keep away from a brutal collapse in a recreation they could not afford to lose.
The Jap Convention champion Warmth are once more in play-in mode with 14 video games left this season and fell to eighth within the standings — they completed seventh a yr in the past when Jimmy Butler sparked an inconceivable run to the NBA Finals. The 76ers are in seventh at 38-30 — the Warmth are 37-31 — an unpleasant spiral for a staff that spent many of the season as a surefire convention contender till dropping Joel Embiid within the final recreation of January to a knee harm.
Butler (proper foot contusion) and Embiid (who continues to rehab) missed Monday’s recreation. Sixers ahead Tobias Harris (proper ankle sprain) additionally missed this one, and Miami’s Duncan Robinson was pressured out of the sport with a nasty again, leaving each groups devoid of star energy — aside from Maxey.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse remained optimistic Embiid might return earlier than the tip of the season.
“I feel he sort of rounds again into form and rhythm fairly shortly,” Nurse mentioned. “I feel clearly the extra video games now we have him, the higher. I additionally assume we need to get to some extent the place he’s as wholesome as he will be at playoff or play-in time.”
The Warmth and Sixers can solely hope all their starters are at full energy by the tip of the season. At this tempo, the Warmth and Sixers might play one another once more within the play-in match. In fourth yr of the format, the No. 7 seed performs No. 8. The winner is in and will get the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The loser has a second probability.
“We’re going to try to struggle prefer to heck to complete as excessive as we will,” Nurse mentioned. “That issues. But when not, so be it. We’ll play-in, we’ll play within the playoffs, no matter. I simply hope we’re taking part in.”
Due to accidents, the Warmth have used a franchise-record 32 beginning lineups. They’re looking for any sort of consistency down the stretch and stave off any ideas a couple of potential second straight run that begins with the play-in.
“We’re not serious about final yr, not serious about any of the narratives,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned. “We’re totally immersed in what we’re making an attempt to do proper now.”
With out Embiid, Maxey steadied the Sixers and dropped 18 factors within the first half to assist the Sixers win their second straight recreation following a skid during which they dropped seven of 10. The Sixers know, with out Embiid, the play-in tourney looms.
“It isn’t any enjoyable if you’re going backward to concentrate to it,” Nurse mentioned.
UP NEXT
Warmth: Play Wednesday at Cleveland.
76ers: Harris will be a part of the staff on their upcoming four-game journey, which opens Wednesday at Phoenix.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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