The Miami HEAT fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 113-110 Friday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Goran Dragić led the way for the HEAT with 17 points.
1. Dragić Leads the Charge
After getting the night off on Thursday against the Hornets, Dragić came out looking very fresh against Philadelphia. From the start, the Dragon made sure Miami got into its actions quickly, and that resulted in an eight-point lead at halftime. As usual, Dragić pushed the pace, attacked the basket and kicked it out to his teammates on the perimeter.
One of the point guard’s better plays of the contest came with a little under four minutes to play in the first period. To start the sequence, Dragić fought through a hand-off screen from Jerami Grant and swatted T.J. McConnell’s shot at the rim. Luke Babbitt then came up with the board and passed it to Dragić after taking a few dribbles. From there, Dragić drove inside, drew two defenders and hit Willie Reed with a fantastic behind-the-back pass, which the big fella converted into two points.
In addition to his 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting, the Slovenian also had five rebounds and a team-high seven assists.
2. The Bigs Come to Play
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from these past few games, it’s that Reed looks ready for the regular season. On Friday, the center continued to roll to the rim with force, which made it easy for his teammates to find him inside.
On the flip side of the ball, Reed made nothing come easy for the 76ers. In fact, he showed great timing on a block against Dario Šarić in the second quarter. The 26-year-old also competed hard when matched up with Joel Embiid and swatted his shot too.
In total, Reed had 13 points, five boards and three blocks.
Whiteside finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, one block and one steal.
3. Battle of the Fours
James Johnson continued to prove his worth as a two-way player for Miami. Throughout the first half, the 29-year-old played solid interior defense. As a result, he led the team with a plus-11 rating at halftime. On the flip side of the ball, he converted some nice finishes and led the break on a few occasions. In all, Johnson tallied five points, four boards and a block.
Babbitt, meanwhile, knocked down a few treys against the 76ers. His ability to stretch the floor will be very important for the HEAT this season. The 27-year-old finished with eight points and a rebound.
Other Takeaways:
-Okaro White received some extensive playing time in the fourth quarter and showed some nice touch around the basket. The forward scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and grabbed four rebounds on the evening.
Game Notes:
-Wayne Ellington exited the game with a right quad contusion and did not return. In 10 minutes of action, the swingman totaled six points, two boards and shot a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.
-Rodney McGruder also left the game, as he jammed his left middle finger. He ended up with three points and a rebound. Like Ellington, he did not return to the contest.
-Josh McRoberts (right foot), Josh Richardson (sprained right MCL) and Dion Waiters (rest) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
With the loss, Miami finishes the preseason at 4-4. After a few days of practice, the HEAT will open the season on the road against the Magic on Wednesday. Miami will then play its home opener on Friday, October 28 against Charlotte. Tickets for that game can be found here.