The Miami HEAT defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 125-98 Wednesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tyler Johnson led the way for the HEAT with 24 points.
1. The Brothers Johnson
At this point you should know that Tyler Johnson and James Johnson have great chemistry with one another. That was on display often on Wednesday night, as the duo linked up for four buckets against the 76ers.
Their most explosive connection came in transition with 9:27 to play in the second quarter. After T. Johnson received the ball from Okaro White, he took a dribble, passed it to J. Johnson and cut down the lane. From there, the forward found the guard for the massive alley-oop.
Throughout the night, T. Johnson did whatever he wanted, as he mixed things up with attacks to the basket and shots from the perimeter. In addition to his team-high 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, T. Johnson also tallied four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
J. Johnson, meanwhile, played a little bit at center and did his usual great work around the rim. The 30-year-old finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, four boards, three assists, two blocks and a steal.
2. Dragić Sharp As Always
To put it simply, Goran Dragić took advantage of his matchup with T.J. McConnell and weaved his way into the paint for some nifty finishes. Whether it was off the dribble or off the catch, it didn’t matter. The Slovenian was locked in from the very start. In all, the point guard scored 15 points, nabbed three steals and dished out two assists.
3. Quick Start for Whiteside
Although Hassan Whiteside only played 22 minutes, he had himself one of his best all-around performances of the season. Early on, Whiteside got off to a nice start and found success with a bunch of quick hook shots before Philadelphia could react. While that was important in a 12-point first half for the big fella, he also had a monster block on Jahlil Okafor in the first quarter.
With 8:40 to play in the period, the 76ers were looking to get an easy bucket in transition, as McConnell hit it ahead to Okafor ahead of the pack. Luke Babbitt put a body on Okafor and contested him well at the right block, but Whiteside swooped in and engulfed the shot with one arm.
Throughout the contest, Whiteside did a nice job of defending Okafor in the post and held him to just six points on 3-of-11 shooting. As a result of his solid defense, Whiteside finished the night with a team-high four blocks to go along with his 15 points, 11 boards and three assists.
Other Takeaways:
-In the first half, Okaro White’s activity on the defensive end led to plenty of opportunities for both himself and his teammates. Let’s take a look at one such instance early on in the second quarter. After drawing an offensive foul on Justin Anderson, White came through with a one-handed alley-oop jam thanks to a nice lob from T. Johnson.
Shortly thereafter, stout defense from the rookie on Gerald Henderson led to the aforementioned alley-oop in transition from J. Johnson to T. Johnson.
When it was all said and done, White tallied four points, three boards, three blocks, two assists, one steal and a plus-20 rating.
-Dion Waiters had a little bit of a slow start to the game, but he really picked things up in the second half. In fact, the 25-year-old tallied 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the third quarter to make sure the HEAT stayed ahead. As usual, Waiters finished plays at the rim and also knocked down some pull-up mid-range jumpers. In all, he amassed 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, four boards and two assists.
-Like Waiters, Wayne Ellington caught fire after halftime and made sure there would be no comeback for Philadelphia. The swingman finished with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Game Note:
-Willie Reed (right ankle bursitis), Justise Winslow (right shoulder surgery) and Josh McRoberts (left foot stress fracture) sat out.
Looking Ahead:
-Up next for the HEAT are the Magic on Friday at 7:00 PM. The following night, Miami will host the Cavaliers at AmericanAirlines Arena. Tickets for that matchup can be found here.