NBA Playoffs 2018: Philadelphia 76ers blitz Miami Heat, 128-108, to take 2-1 series lead
A masked Joel Embiid scored 23 points in his postseason debut, Marco Belinelli and Dario Saric each added 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Miami Heat, 128-108, on Thursday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
He banked in a turnaround straightaway jumper a fortuitous bounce to put Philadelphia up nine late, then connected on a 3-pointer and added a pair of throws to start the spurt that put the game away for Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Miami couldn’t find any sort of stride.
Hassan Whiteside was mired in foul trouble and ineffective, finishing the night all of 1 for 1 from the field for five points. Dwyane Wade, who Miami needed to be superb in the win at Philadelphia in Game 2, shot 2 for 10. Wayne Ellington, Miami’s single-season leader in 3-pointers after making a record 227 this season, was 1 for 5 from the floor.
The play was part of a chippy final few minutes in the Devils’ victory, which included an incidental head shot by Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev on Devils forward Blake Coleman.
Sergachev received a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head, while Pavel Zacha went to the box for the Devils for roughing after the play.
The teams then got involved in a 10-player melee in the final 30 seconds of the game , with five skaters from each team getting involved. All 10 received 10-minute misconducts.
Despite the chippy finish, the Devils expect the teams to get back to usual hockey in Game 4 on Wednesday.
It’s an emotional game, but you have to keep your emotions in check, forward Brian Boyle said Tuesday. Especially trying to keep this series 5-on-5, and play to our strengths.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman will not face supplemental discipline from the NHL for spearing Devils forward Nico Hischier late in the third period of the Devils’ 5-2 Game 3 victory on Monday at Prudential Center in Newark.