Wade of old helps end 76ers 17-game streak
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA» Dwyane Wade turned in a vintage performance, scoring 28 points to end the 76ers’ 17game winning streak and lead the Miami Heat to a 113-103 Game 2 win over Philadelphia on Monday night and even the firstround playoff series.
Playing without injured all-star center Joel Embiid for the 10th straight game, the Sixers nearly pulled off an epic comeback and rallied from 16 down to just two points late in the fourth.
Philly fans were going wild and suddenly the home-court edge that had made the Sixers unbeatable for a month seemed like it would perk the team back up for one more notch on the winning streak.
Wade buried two big baskets down the stretch that pushed back the Sixers and tied the series as it shifts to Miami for Game 3 on Thursday.
The Sixers lost for the first time since March 13 to Indiana. They won 16 straight to end the regular season and the first game of the playoffs.
Wade’s play resembled his glory days at times and he carried the Heat in a sensational second quarter that was the difference. He pump-faked his way to 15 points in the quarter — impressive enough, even mo- reso that he outscored the potent Sixers by two points.
The 36-year-old Wade made his first seven shots of the game and passed Larry Bird for 10th on the NBA’s career postseason scoring list.
After a Game 1 victory where they couldn’t miss, the Sixers couldn’t make a big basket in the first half. The Sixers made a team playoff-record 18 3s in Game 1 and missed a whopping 16of-18 3s in the first half. Robert Covington missed all five and Dario Saric was 0for-4. The Sixers made four baskets and scored 13 points in the quarter.
The Heat slowed the game down — exactly the kind of style where the Sixers needed Embiid in the middle — and used a collective of defenders on Ben Simmons that rattled the rookie point guard early.
The passing-and-pushing offense that got the Sixers to the No. 3 seed in the East failed them for the first time since early March.
Simmons led the Sixers with 24 points and Saric had 23.