The notion that it would be easy with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid being out was misguided from the outset.
Especially when considering the Miami Heat remained without Kyle Lowry.
So the early 14-point lead evaporated quickly. And only then did this Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series truly begin.
Real work ensued for Erik Spoelstra’s team, so did a meaningful result, with the Heat’s 106-92 victory Monday night victory at FTX Arena staking them to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that resumes Wednesday at 7:30 on the Heat’s home court.
“Forty-eight-minutes games are long,” Spoelstra said, “They’re a very good team, even without Embiid.”
Unable to establish stable footing until the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the Heat won for the third time in as many games that Lowry has sat with a strained left hamstring.
With Embiid out with an orbital fracture while also recovering from a concussion, the Heat ultimately established dominance in the middle, with center Bam Adebayo closing with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
And when the Heat needed to take their game outside, there were 25 points from backup guard Tyler Herro, including 4 of 6 on 3-pointers on a night the remainder of his teammates went a combined 5 of 30 from beyond the arc.
Those performances allowed the Heat to overcome early turnover problems and an offense that at times grew troublingly stagnant. Eventually, the Heat got the errors down, with one in the second half after 10 in the first.
“Getting two at home is important in the playoffs,” Adebayo said, with Games 3 and 4 then shifting to Philadelphia starting Friday.
The Heat also got 15 points and nine rebounds from Jimmy Butler, and 10 points and seven rebounds from P.J. Tucker.
The 76ers were led by Tobias Harris’ 27 points, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 219 and James Harden 16.
The Heat closed with a 47-37 rebounding advantage.
“Their physicality had an impact,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “They were the far tougher, more physical team tonight.”
Five Degrees of Heat from Monday’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat went up 14 early and took a 30-22 lead into the second period.
But the 76ers then closed the half with a 15-4 run to take a 51-50 lead into the intermission, their first lead of the game.
The Heat then pushed their lead back into double figures in the third quarter, before taking an 80-72 edge into the fourth.
The Heat went up 14 early in the fourth, to match their largest lead to that stage, with a Herro 3-point making it 96-77.
“Defensively, we really picked up the intensity and we did it with a little bit more thought and more discipline,” Spoelstra said.
2. Adebayo attacks: With the 76ers opening with DeAndre Jordan in place of Embiid and then cycling next to Paul Reed, Adebayo went on the attack from the outset, closing his initial seven-minute stint with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and four rebounds.
Adebayo had to be rushed back after that initial stint, after backup center Dewayne Dedmon was called for three fouls in his first 23 seconds, immediately returning to the bench after 38 seconds of action.
The 76ers eventually went small, with 6-foot-7 forward Georges Niang at center to close the opening period, with Paul Millsap becoming their fourth center to see action, by the start of the second period.
Adebayo took on all comers.
“I feel like I was just making plays, finding seams, finding gaps, being patient and taking my time,” he said.
Adebayo closed 8 of 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the foul line.
“He was able to find those open gaps in the paint,” Spoelstra said. “It was just his activity, his relentlessness, his assertiveness.”
It appears there will be more Jordan to follow.
“We are going to keep starting him,” Rivers said, “whether you like it or not, because our guys believe in him.”
3. Herro hunting: It was another double-edged sword with Herro.
He was up to 17 points by the end of the third period, but also was constantly hunted defensively by the 76ers, with the Heat outscored by two points when he was on the court over the first 36 minutes.
But Herro kept going from there, his scoring ultimately proving too much to match while Harden was being hounded by anyone and everyone in Heat white.
Herro reached the 20-point mark with a 30-foot 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, closing 9 of 17 from the field, adding seven assists.
“I think it was just a matter of time before he was going to get into his rhythm,” Spoelstra said, with Herro uneven in the first round.
4. Harden focus: With Embiid out, the Heat put the primary defensive focus on Harden.
Tucker took that opening assignment against his former Houston Rockets teammate, with Gabe Vincent, Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin also taking turns.
Tucker was relentless with his effort both against Harden and on the offense glass.
“He has those momentum-shifting plays,” Spoelstra said of Tucker. “They’re just timely, winning plays.”
Said Tucker, “It’s pretty much my job, it’s what I do. Figuring out a way to win the game, that’s it.”
Harden closed 5 of 13 from the field, 2 of 7 on 3-pointers.
“He’s a great player and a great mind,” Spoelstra said, “so he’ll also go through his own adjustments. It’s not like we’re surprising him on anything.”
5. Rotation remix: With Lowry out, Vincent started his third consecutive game at point guard.
In addition, Oladipo remained in the primary mix, after dual solid performances to close out the previous series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Heat first four reserves, in order, were Herro and Dedmon together, then Oladipo, then Martin.
That left Duncan Robinson shuffled out, his first “Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision” since April 7, 2019.
Without Robinson, the spacing was particularly off when Oladipo and Butler were on the court together.
Of going without Robinson, Spoelstra said, “It literally could change next game. He’s stable enough, he’s ready enough. . . . It’s just the way we went tonight.”
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