We witnessed an outstanding game in the first play-in game of the NBA Eastern Conference, where Nicolas Batum secured a win for the Philadelphia 76ers by 105:104.
It was a true play-off game between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers. The match, which promised the most excitement among all play-in games, lived up to expectations. Both teams showed a tremendous level of aggressiveness, but it was the Philadelphia 76ers who advanced, setting up a series against the New York Knicks.
The Miami Heat looked much stronger at the beginning of the game. After a first quarter that was mostly evenly matched, the second quarter belonged entirely to the visiting team. Their defense was excellent, and offensively, ball movement was on point, everything seemed ideal as they went into halftime with a 12-point lead.
However, an inexplicable collapse occurred in the remaining 24 minutes. The Miami Heat’s defense ceased to exist, allowing the home team to score 66 points in the last two quarters. Their offense couldn’t keep up with that pace, shooting percentages started to drop, and they struggled to score inside against Joel Embiid.
After the complete comeback by the Philadelphia 76ers, Nicolas Batum emerged as the hero by blocking Nikola Jovic’s three-point attempt with 24 seconds left, securing a playoffs spot for his team.
Embiid led the winning team with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Batum reminded everyone of his prime with 20 points and outstanding defense. As for the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler was the most effective with 25 points. However, his knee injury in this game could be a problem for the Miami Heat, casting doubt on his availability for the rest of the season.