Box Score Breakdown for Wednesday, April 17, 2024
76ers top Heat, secure matchup with Knicks in East first round
The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament on Wednesday.
Even though Miami looked better early on, the Sixers improved as the game went on, and a second-half revival allowed them to finish their rivals. Philadelphia claimed the seventh seed in the East with the win and will face the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey delivered 19 points, six assists and three rebounds. Kelly Oubre Jr. posted 11 points. Nicolas Batum came off the bench and finished with 20 points.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 25 points while adding nine assists. Jimmy Butler posted 19 points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals. Bam Adebayo recorded 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bulls took an 18-point advantage into the fourth and cruised to the home win, earning a shot to battle for eighth place in the East. On the other hand, this marks the end of the line for the Hawks.
Coby White led the way for the Bulls with 42 points on 15-for-21 shooting, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 43 minutes. Nikola Vucevic followed up with 24 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. DeMar DeRozan turned in 22 points, six rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a block, while Ayo Dosunmu had an impressive outing, with 19 points, three assists and two blocks. The Bulls shot 56.8 percent from the field, including 11-for-26 from deep.
Meanwhile, Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 46 minutes. Clint Capela totaled 22 points, 17 rebounds and four assists, and Trae Young logged 22 points, two rebounds and 10 assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic also came up big, with 21 points five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.