This wasn’t the start-to-finish stressless joyride that might have seemed likely after the Heat sprinted to a 25-11 lead against Philadelphia at the outset of their second-round series on Monday night.
But the Heat’s 106-92 win against Philadelphia in Game 1 at FTX Arena was a testament to Miami’s resiliency, because the Heat - once again - showed it could steady itself after taking a punch and then knock out a teetering opponent.
Blitzed by a big Philadelphia run that gave the 76ers their first lead of the night just before halftime, the Heat raised its intensity - and its execution - to a far higher level in the third quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 18-7 to take an eight-point lead after three, and then stampeding the 76ers in the fourth.
