Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Heat vs. 76ers
Miami bounces back with a 125-98 home win.
MIAMI — To appreciate the intensity of the Heat in the wake of their road loss Monday night to the Dallas Mavericks merely required gazing at the Philadelphia 76ers bench during the start of each half Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
With the Heat jumping to a 7-0 lead into what would turn into a 125-98 victory, 76ers coach Brett Brown called timeout 49 seconds into the game.
After the Heat extended their 20-point halftime lead, Brown called timeout 1:26 into the second half.
That’s where the growth has come amid this run of 17 victories in the Heat’s past 20 games. The previous time the Heat lost a road game, which happened to be against these same 76ers, they returned home to lay an egg in a loss to the Orlando Magic.
This time, after the Heat’s offense went south in Dallas, the Heat stormed to a 64-point first half and ran away from there. Next, they need to make amends Friday in Orlando as well, with a schedule that still includes three games apiece against the Cleveland Cavaliers
and Toronto Raptors, plus two against the surging Washington Wizards.
With the ball back in motion after a stagnant offensive finish in Dallas, make it 100 or more points in 17 of the past 18 games, after that 96-89 glitch against the Mavericks.
To put into perspective just how much the Heat got back to the ball movement that has fueled this revival from 11-30 at midseason, consider that by the end of the first half center Hassan Whiteside had matched his career high of three assists.
Whiteside also filled the usual statistical categories, amassing 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, his 102nd Heat double-double trying LeBron James’ total with the Heat despite sitting out the fourth quarter.
There also were 24 points from Tyler Johnson, 18 from Wayne Ellington, 15 from Goran Dragic, 15 from Dion Waiters and 14 from James Johnson.
Tyler Johnson’s effort was the 17th 20-point game off the Heat bench this season, tying the franchise record, with the Heat also producing 17 20-point games off their bench in 1991-92.
The Heat were without backup center Willie Reed for a second consecutive game due to ankle bursitis, with Okaro White again playing behind Whiteside.
The Heat also continued to slow-play the return of Josh Richardson from his foot sprain, again playing him as the fifth guard beoff hind Dragic, Waiters, Tyler Johnson and Ellington, who sizzled from the 3-point line.
In addition, the Heat lost starting small forward Rodney McGruder for the balance of the game in the third quarter with a bruised left quad.
The Heat entered 1-2 against the 76ers in the four-game season series but having won five in a row against them before this season’s two losses. With their victory Wednesday, the Heat have now won five in a row over Philadelphia at AmericanAirlines Arena.
The 76ers were coming a 119-108 home loss Monday night to the Warriors and now have lost four of their past five.
After pushing to a 24-point lead in the third quarter, the Heat went into the fourth ahead 88-74, with four players with at least 15 points at that stage.
The Heat held their largest halftime lead of the season when they went into the intermission up 64-44 after outscoring the 76ers 27-17 in the second period.
The Heat forced 10 Philadelphia turnovers over the opening two periods.
After struggling Monday in Dallas, the Heat regained their offensive stroke at the outset Wednesday, outscoring the 76ers 37-27 in the first quarter, including going 4-for-8 on 3-pointers.
The 76ers were dealing with the confirmation earlier in the day that rookie center Joel Embiid would be out for the balance of the season due to a knee issue. A week earlier, the 76ers traded center Nerlens Noel to the Mavericks essentially for draft picks.