BBNBA: Heat, Suns retake series leads with dominant showings
Two days ago, the parallel 1-4 second-round matchups were looking like the most compelling series yet in this year’s Playoffs. At the time, the lower-seeded Sixers and Mavericks had both just pulled off huge Game 4 victories to tie the tally at two games apiece. But on Tuesday, the top dogs responded with a pair of authoritative Game 5 wins to restore balance. Let’s dive in.
Tuesday’s Results
(4) 76ers 85 @ (1) Heat 120 | MIA leads series 3-2
(4) Mavericks 80 @ (1) Suns 110 | PHX leads series 3-2
Heat turn up temperature on Sixers, grab 3-2 lead
It’s rare for an NBA Playoff series to follow the home-away script to a tee, but that’s exactly what’s happened in the first Eastern Conference semifinal. After taking the first two games on their homecourt, the Heat dropped Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. But since returning to Miami for Game 5, it’s been all smiles for Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro & Co.
Miami cruised on Tuesday, defeating Philly 120-85 to snag a decisive 3-2 series lead and maintain homecourt advantage. As usual, they did their damage on defense — Joel Embiid was limited to 17 points on 12 shots, while James Harden scored 14 with as many turnovers (four) as assists. Perhaps most impressively, the notorious duo combined to shoot just six free throws.
Of course, much of the credit on D can be traced back to Adebayo’s presence in the paint. He finished with a modest 12 points, six boards and two blocks, but his impact was felt far beyond the stat sheet. Here he is locking up the MVP runner-up:
For Philadelphia, it didn’t help that Tyrese Maxey had his worst game of the Playoffs so far. The 21-year-old struggled to find a rhythm on offense, making just 2-10 shots and failing to crack double-digits for the first time since March. He was even outplayed by Herro, who scored 10 points on 4-8 shooting.
The 35-point margin was the second-largest in Heat postseason history, and it matched the biggest blowout of this year’s Playoffs. Philly will have to bounce back in a big way in Thursday’s Game 6 to keep their season alive.
Booker, Suns lockdown Mavericks to claim 3-2 lead
The second game of the night followed a similar script, as the Suns redeemed themselves for Sunday’s loss in a big way. After a back-and-forth first half, Phoenix pulled away in the third quarter and never looked back. The 110-80 victory gave them a leg up in the series once again.
Devin Booker was the star of the show, targeting Luka Doncic at every opportunity on his way to 28 points.
After leading by just three at the half, the Suns opened the third period on an 11-4 scoring run. Booker hit two of his three triples during that stretch, including this one that nearly brought the house down:
In the end, the Mavericks had no answer. Doncic and Jalen Brunson combined for 49, but no other Dallas player scored more than 10 in the loss. Meanwhile, DeAndre Ayton had his way in the paint, dropping a near-double-double with 20 points and nine boards.
Game 6 will be played Thursday night in Dallas, where the Suns will hope to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year.
Statistics:
| Player | Result | Points | FG (3PA) | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Turnovers | Minutes | +/- |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 110-80 W vs. DAL | 28 | 11-20 (3-7) | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 35 | +25 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 120-85 W vs. PHI | 12 | 4-7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 28 | +22 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 120-85 W vs. PHI | 10 | 4-8 (0-2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 | +16 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 120-85 L @ MIA | 9 | 2-10 (1-4) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 31 | -25 |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00 p.m. (TNT) – (3) Bucks @ (2) Celtics – Series tied 2-2
9:30 p.m. (TNT) – (3) Warriors @ (2) Grizzlies – GSW leads 3-1
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