Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade reacts to his basket in the last minute of the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday, April 16, 2018, in Philadelphia. The Heat won 113-103. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
PHILADELPHIA — Dwyane Wade snuffed out one 76ers’ rally by popping a 16-foot fadeaway with the shot clock ticking down. Wade made a halfhearted attempt at reaching his hand out toward a fallen defender before he scooted on his way.
Wade was up, the Sixers were down and suddenly, a series.
He turned in a vintage performance, scoring 28 points to end the 76ers’ 17-game winning streak and lead the Miami Heat to a 113-103 Game 2 win over Philadelphia on Monday night and even the first-round playoff series.
“I saw moments,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “That’s what defines Dwyane Wade.”
The 36-year-old flashed the form of a three-team NBA champion with the Heat, not the journeyman who bounced around the last two seasons with forgettable stints in Chicago and Cleveland.
Wade made 11 of 17 shots and put on a show in the second quarter and put it away in the fourth.
“He can settle the group with his experience, his championship experience,” Spoelstra said.
The Sixers badly needed injured All-Star center Joel Embiid to settle them. The Sixers nearly pulled off an epic comeback and rallied from 16 down to just two points late in the fourth.
Philly fans were going wild and suddenly the home-court edge that had made the Sixers unbeatable for a month seemed like it would perk the team back up for one more notch on the winning streak.
Wade buried two big buckets down the stretch that pushed back the Sixers and tied the series as it shifts to Miami for Game 3 on Thursday.
The Sixers lost for the first time since March 13 to Indiana. They won 16 straight to end the regular season and the first game of the playoffs and played their 10th straight game without Embiid.
“You need Joel Embiid,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
Embiid went on Instagram after the game and wrote, “sick and tired of being babied.”
Wade’s play resembled his glory days at times and he carried the Heat in a sensational second quarter that was the difference. He pump-faked his way to 15 points in the quarter — impressive enough, even moreso that he outscored the potent Sixers by two points.
Wade made his first seven shots of the game and passed Larry Bird for 10th on the NBA’s career postseason scoring list.
After a Game 1 victory where they couldn’t miss, the Sixers couldn’t make a big bucket in the first half. The Sixers made a team playoff-record 18 3s in Game 1 and missed a whopping 16 of 18 3s in the first half. Robert Covington missed all five and Dario Saric was 0 for 4. The Sixers made four baskets and scored 13 points in the quarter.
The Heat slowed the game down — exactly the kind of style where the Sixers needed Embiid in the middle — and used a collective of defenders on Ben Simmons that rattled the rookie point guard early.
The passing-and-pushing offense that got the Sixers to the No. 3 seed in the East failed them for the first time since early March.
But there was life left in the fourth.
Saric was fouled by Wade and sank both from the line to make it 91-82 and he followed with a 3 the next time down that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Saric broke up a pass on defense that led to a Simmons dunk and suddenly 18 straight wins was within reach.
Ersan Ilyasova made a tip shot to close to 98-96.
Wade contributed with baskets, assists and free throws over the final 4 minutes to close out the win.
Simmons led the Sixers with 24 points and Saric had 23.
“I hate this feeling but maybe it’s a good reminder for everybody for next game to lock in,” Simmons said.
TIP-INS
Heat: Goran Dragic scored 20 points and James Johnson had 18.
76ers: Philly native and Hollywood star Kevin Hart rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell and sat courtside a few seats down from Allen Iverson. … Team consultant Jerry Colangelo was at the game.
EMBIID UPDATE
Embiid wore his black mask and put on a 3-point shootout in pregame that had fans going wild with each shot. Again, there was no timetable on when Embiid would return this series, if at all.
“I can’t wait to get him back,” coach Brett Brown said. “He, to me, is the difference maker. Joel Embiid changes the dynamics in many ways of this team. There will be a reintroduction of him back into the team.”
LINEUP CHANGE
Ilyasova got the start at center for the first time in Embiid’s absence over Amir Johnson.
REMEMBERING GREER
The 76ers held a moment of silence for Hall of Famer Hal Greer. Greer died Saturday after a brief illness. He was 81. He’s the 76ers’ career leader in points, field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played.
“He was a graceful man. He was class. He was a gentleman,” Brown said.
UP NEXT
Game 3 is Thursday and Game 4 is Saturday in Miami.