Weakened by two consecutive losses, the Miami Heat hoped to perk up with the reception of the New York Knicks, who are still chasing 10th place with dignity but a little for form too, since they still remain far enough from the last spot to the play-in tournament. But on arrival, it was a bad evening for Erik Spoelstra’s men, who suffered a third defeat in a row (103-111), in a rather unlikely outcome.
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While leading peacefully by 17 points with 11 minutes remaining, the Heat suddenly took buckets of water and were extinguished in one act by the Knicks! Or rather by a man, emerging from the bench, which is a bit of nowhere for New Yorkers this season, as the bench was not a great success all year round. That man is point guard Immanuel Quickley, and he totally changed the face of the game.
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Author of 23 points, Quickley slammed especially 20 in the last quarter and brought the Knicks alone in the wake of the leader in the East, suddenly totally scattered and who missed following eleven of his twelve shots! A 13-38 ten minutes later and New York had swung Miami, greatly sounded. “We have to go back to the trenches, watch the film and bounce back”lamented the pivot of the Heat Bam Adebayo.
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Harden-Embiid, duo stars à Phila
In any case, the Florida disappointment greatly suits Philadelphia’s affairs and makes even more indecisive and illegible the formidable four-way battle for the No. 1 spot in the East, between Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Boston, held in two victories at ten games or less from the end of the regular season! On Friday, the Sixers rolled over the Clippers who, sure of being in the play-in, are doing what they can this season without Kawhi Leonard and Paul Georges (97-122) but are clearly in the tough end of the race , with five defeats in a row and two wins in their last ten matches.
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James Harden had a top-flight first period with the Clippers. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports/Reuters)
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Quite the opposite of the Sixers, who tumbled full pot, compiled a third success in a row and greedily eyeed first place in the East, in the wake of their duo of All-Stars, James Harden (29 pts, 15 rebounds, 7 assists) and Joel Embiid (27 pts, 10 rebounds), both in double doubles in the same match for the first time since their association last February. The first achieved a smashing first period (25 pts, 11 rebounds), the second garnered a 38th double double. And in the footsteps of her two monsters, Phila lands there.
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