Miami Heat fails to contain 76ers’ Joel Embiid and loses third consecutive game

Joel Embiid sank a three-point shot from the top of the key with less than two minutes left, turned around and raised his arms in the air.

Once again, the Philadelphia 76ers’ star center got the best of the Miami Heat.

Embiid scored 35 points — including 16 from the free-throw line — and JJ Redick added 25 to lead Philadelphia to a 124-114 win over Miami at AmericanAirlines Arena on Monday in a contest that featured 54 personal fouls and never saw a team lead by double figures until that Embiid three-pointer that was quickly followed by a ferocious Ben Simmons one-handed dunk.

The Heat went 1-3 on this four-game homestand and has dropped six of its last eight games.

The Heat (5-8) used a 15-0 run at the start of the second quarter on four three-point baskets and a Tyler Johnson three-point play that gave Miami a 41-34 lead — a 7-point margin that proved to be the Heat’s largest of the night. A 13-5 Philadelphia run in the final 2:18 of the half made it 64-62 76ers at the break and never gave it up.

The 76ers (9-6) extended their lead to six at the end of a chippy third quarter that included 21 combined personal fouls and held off a slew of Miami rally attempts in the fourth quarter to preserve the win.

Goran Dragic led the Heat with 22 points a game after being held scoreless for the first time in a Miami jersey. Josh Richardson added 17 and Hassan Whiteside put up a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds despite running into foul trouble early in the second half.

Miami now heads on a two-game road trip against the New York Nets on Wednesday and the Pacers on Friday before returning home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

This story was originally published November 12, 2018 at 10:08 PM.