3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following important win over Heat
· Yahoo Sports
PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia 76ers were able to earn a much-needed 124-117 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night in terms of the playoff race. The Sixers were able to tie the 3-game season series with the Heat at 1-1 and they now lead Miami by 2.5 games for the final guaranteed playoff spot in the East.
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Joel Embiid had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists for Philadelphia while Tyrese Maxey had 28 points and 11 assists along with five steals. VJ Edgecombe added 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Dominick Barlow and Quentin Grimes added nine points each.
Here are the three biggest takeaways following the win:
Maxey makes history
The All-Star starter knocked down four triples in the first quarter which allowed him to pass the great Allen Iverson for the most in franchise history. Iverson knocked down 885 in his illustrious career while Maxey is now at 887. Of course, Iverson played in a different era that didn’t rely on 3-point shooting too much, but it doesn’t change the fact that Maxey still made history on a night they earned an important win in the standings.
"He obviously handled it good tonight," coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey making history. "He was complaining that they told him to too much the other night or something. He didn't want to know when he knew what he was thinking about it a bit, but he obviously took care of that early in the game tonight, but it's an amazing record. I think he's gonna have some time to increase it, right? A pretty tough one to beat by the time he's done."
Oubre comes up large
The focus on this game will be on Embiid and Maxey, but Oubre deserves a ton of love and attention in this one. The 11-year veteran out of Kansas knocked down huge shots every time the Sixers needed one. There was a stretch in the third when the Heat took their first lead of the night and Oubre responded with a wing triple and a slam to help Philadelphia retake the lead. He then knocked down some big 3s in the fourth to help the Sixers get the job done in this one. He continues to make a big impact when the Sixers need it.
"Three letters. W I N," Oubre said after the win. "That's all I want to do out here. I just want to go out there and play as hard as I possibly can and help my brothers just win the game."
Embiid comes up clutch
The big fell didn’t play too much in the fourth as he was working his way through injuries and such, but the 2023 MVP winner came up large down the stretch. He knocked down a big 3 from the wing to put the game away and blew a kiss to the crowd on his way back down the floor. He came up with some big plays on both ends and was able to make sure the Sixers walked away with a big win. He was grabbing at his ribs and shoulders a bit, but he still ended up knocking down some big shots for the Sixers.
"We're kind of at still seeing where he is minutes-wise, right?" said Nurse. "We're kind of at the mark we were shooting for, but again, in the game, if he feels like he's able to go a little further, we can push that out a few minutes here or there, but he was pretty much done at the 30 mark. Then just the last, I think it was a minute and a half, maybe less that he said he would go in. I mean, he hit a huge shot. He hit the shot to put the game away. So, obviously, great battling through that. Especially, to step up and make that play."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following important win over Heat