Sixers, Embiid ready for another physical matchup against Heat

MIAMI — Even with the Philadelphia 76ers holding a 2-1 lead over the Miami Heat in their best-of-seven series, Joel Embiid isn’t quite ready to say the Heat’s backs are against the wall. Not yet, anyway.

However, the All-Star center is expecting another physical effort from the Heat on today, when the teams meet in a critical Game 4 of their openinground NBA playoff series.

The Sixers don’t just expect the Heat to be physical, they welcome it. They are embracing the pushing, the shoving, the contact, the tough shots and the fouls.

“That’s what I live for. I thrive in these types of moments. … Especially after watching that Game 2, I felt like that’s why the team needed me the most,” Embiid said Friday, less than 24 hours after Philadelphia’s 128-108 win over the Heat in Miami. “I feel like I’m one of the most physical players in the league. I love contact, I love attacking, I love going to the freethrow line. We just have to come in [today], try to punch them in the mouth early and then you know, I think the series is going to be different. I’m excited about [today].”

Added 76ers rookie Ben Simmons: “I think that second game, where they held us, the way they played, is very physical. And for some of us, they’re used to playing like that and other guys are getting used to it. I’m enjoying it.”

Thursday’s Game 3 was marked by a handful of incidents that had the Heat and Sixers nearly coming to blows, including a scuffle between Dwyane Wade and Philadelphia’s Justin Anderson that resulted in both players receiving technical fouls. Also, Goran Dragic and Marco Belinelli tangled twice, and Justise Winslow stepping on the protective facemask Embiid is wearing after fracturing an orbital bone three weeks ago.

In all, the Heat and Sixers combined for 56 personal fouls Thursday, with each team getting three technical fouls, too.

Considering several of his players, including Embiid, are making their first appearance in the playoffs, Sixers coach Brett Brown said Friday he felt his team handled the physicality maturely.

He reiterated, too, Philadelphia is going to have to continue working to keep its composure Saturday and beyond if it wants to hold off the Heat. And making sure his players were prepared for that was one of Brown’s biggest priorities ahead of Game 4.

“There’s a bigger issue, I feel, than walking through ‘This is how we’re going to defend Dragic on this play’ or ‘This is how we’re going to space behind Joel on that play.’ There is a complete overarching sort of feeling and trying to get ahead of the story — we know what tomorrow’s going to look like physically,” Brown said. “I’ve lived this life and it helps me to predict, you know, how the game is going to be played [Saturday].

“So welcoming that, handling it with maturity and sort of professional sophistication of how we create a lead, how we protect the ball, how we continue to not turn it over — we had 12 turnovers — there is a physical style of play that this game will be played with and be and reffed by tomorrow. … We know what [Saturday’s] going to look like is what’s most on my mind today.”