Jacari McRae | February 22nd, 2019
Here are my four takeaways from the Heat’s 106-102 loss to the Sixers.
Heat fall to 10th
On a night where the Heat were cold from beyond the arc, they continued to stay close with the 76ers. They played a tough team tough to the end. With under three minutes left, they lead the 76ers by one before ultimately losing the game in the end. With Thursday’s loss, the Heat fell to 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re now a one-half game behind No. 8 Detroit and one game behind No. 7 Charlotte.
The Heat’s next game will be against No.8 Detroit on Saturday night in Miami. It’ll be a very important game for both teams as they race towards the playoffs. It’ll also be Wayne Ellington‘s first game against the Heat in a Pistons uniform.
Wade shines
In what could be his last appearance at the Wells Fargo Center, Dwyane Wade put on a show. He led the Heat with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field. His passing skills were put in full display, making back to back passes to Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones Jr.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1098781434242887686
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1098752784726396928
The Sixers honored the thirteen-time all-star in a video, narrated by Allen Iverson, before he checked into the game. In the video, Iverson was quoted as saying, “I’ve always been a big fan of him. Still am.”
Whiteside struggles
When Hassan Whiteside last played at the Wells Fargo Center, he was limited to ten minutes in the Heat’s season-ending Game 5 loss to Philadelphia in the first round. Joel Embiid dominated that match-up by outscoring Whiteside 19-2 that night. This time, it was Embiid’s backup Boban Marjanovic who outscored Whiteside 16-0 in the first half and 19-4 for the game. Whiteside’s first points came in the second half on a short push shot, with a huge dunk following after.
Whiteside did not play in the fourth quarter.
Another injury
After the all-star break, the Heat announced that both Goran Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr were finally cleared to play. This marked the first time the Heat had a healthy roster all season long. But then, midway in the second quarter, James Johnson went to the locker room with an injured left shoulder., with the team reporting that X-rays were negative. He did not return, finishing the night with three points and one rebound in seven minutes.
https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/1098749793680216064
That opened the door for the return of Derrick Jones Jr, who had been sidelined since Jan. 27 with bone bruises on his right knee. Jones Jr. provided a lift off the bench. He scored nine points in sixteen minutes of action.
Next up: Pistons vs Heat on Saturday. Tip-off at 7:30pmET
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