NEW YORK (AFP) — The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 23 points from National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, rallied to beat the Miami Heat, 105-104, on Wednesday and book a first-round playoff clash with the New York Knicks.
Embiid, still struggling for peak form after missing two months following knee surgery, stepped it up in the second half for the Sixers, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter in the NBA play-in tournament clash.
Miami, who emerged from the play-in to reach the NBA Finals last year, can still make the playoffs.
On Friday, they play a must-win game against the Chicago Bulls, who stampeded the Atlanta Hawks, 131-116, to stay alive.
In Philadelphia, Embiid scored 13 points in the second half, drilling a go-ahead three-pointer with 2:33 left to play.
The lead would change hands twice before Embiid found Kelly Oubre Jr. in the lane for a basket and a free throw that put Philadelphia ahead for good with 36 seconds remaining.
Sixers reserve Nicolas Batum scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half and came up with a big block on Tyler Herro with 26.2 seconds left, the 76ers draining a series of free throws to seal the win.
Batum made six of the 76ers’ 12 three-pointers, and 76ers coach Nick Nurse credited his long-range shooting with helping Philadelphia breakthrough against the Miami zone defense that frustrated them in the first half.
“He knew we needed some offense, needed to crack that zone with some perimeter shooting,” Nurse said.
“He found some areas to get to and he just kept pulling the trigger.”
Teammate Tyrese Maxey called Batum “the star of the night,” but Embiid will be key to the 76ers’ fortunes against the second-seeded Knicks.