Miami foresees the Eastern Conference final: still guided by Jimmy Butler in attack, the Heat also took out the barbed wire against Joel Embiid to win with authority (120-85) at the expense of Philadelphia on Tuesday in the NBA play-offs.
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The Florida team, championship finalists in 2020, have thus regained their usual virtues - constant combativeness, tough and relentless defense -, somewhat etiolated during the two previous confrontations in Pennsylvania, to regain the advantage 3 to 2 in this series where, for the time being, therefore, each team has imposed itself on its floor.
Embiid paid the price, taking the ball in the face on a rebound battle in the 2nd quarter.
However, the Cameroonian pivot, already bothered by a ligament tear in the right thumb, has been playing with a protective mask, since his orbital fracture of the right eye which occurred two weeks ago.
This ball, more exactly pressed on his mask by Dewayne Dedmon, made him collapse and scream in pain for a few moments.
Embiid nevertheless found the strength to get up, but, as if playing with the handbrake, he could not really impose himself in the racket of Miami where he was obviously persona non grata.
His 17 points, with yet a good success rate (7/12, 7 rebounds), did not weigh enough.
Harden misses
No more than the 14 (at 5/13) of James Harden.
After his performance on Sunday (31 pts including 16 in the last quarter) worthy of the triple best scorer in the league that he was, "The Beard" (the bearded man) was thus unable to confirm his start, which nevertheless also conditions the survival of the 76ers in this series.
It was obvious that the deterrent force of the Heat would be greater, like Bam Adebayo who multiplied his efforts inside (12 pts, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), but still it was necessary that the baskets also come in.
And not just those of Jimmy Butler.
As a good leader, the latter, who had scored 40 points unnecessarily on Sunday, again showed the way (23 pts at 9/15, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) to his teammates, finally in tune.
Max Strus (19 pts, 10 rebounds) thus contributed offensively, as did Victor Oladipo (13 pts) off the bench.
Back to the wall, the Sixers will have to imperatively win Thursday at home in Pennsylvania, to snatch a decisive match 7 scheduled for Saturday.
Otherwise it will be vacation time and the Heat will prepare for the next game, against Milwaukee or Boston (2-2).