Heat -- without Adebayo and Wiggins -- takes control in fourth to beat undermanned 76ers

Miami Herald

08-04-2025

Takeaways from the Heat's 117-105 win against Philadelphia on Monday at Kaseya Center:
▪ The Heat unraveled in the third quarter and allowed an undermanned team that had lost 11 in a row to hang around far too long. But Miami took control in the fourth and won a game in which five of the two teams' six best players were sidelined by injuries.
The Heat entered having blown a double-digit lead in an NBA-high 21 losses and having squandered an NBA-high 20 fourth-quarter leads in losses this season.
It looked like it might happen again, as the 76ers erased a 14-point deficit with a 22-6 third quarter spurt that left them up seven.
With the game tied at 88 and just over four minutes left, Duncan Robinson, Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell, Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr. super-charged a rally that put the Heat up nine. Miami outscored the 76ers 34-22 in the fourth to break open a game that was tied after three.
A loss would have been disastrous for Miami, which clings to hopes to move up from 10th in the jockeying for Eastern Conference playoff position.
Next up: a critical game on Wednesday in Chicago, which leads the Heat by a half game for ninth and has already clinched the tiebreaker against Miami.
The Heat played with Bam Adebayo (back spasms) and Andrew Wiggins (sore hamstring), while the 76ers played without injured Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and several other rotation players.
With Adebayo missing only his third game of the season, Erik Spoelstra opened with a starting group of Ware, Haywood Highsmith, Pelle Larsson, Alec Burks and Tyler Herro.
Miami surged ahead by 14 points in the second quarter, but that lead evaporated and the game went to the fourth tied at 83 before a group of reserves led a furious 15-3 fourth quarter spurt.
The supporting cast was very helpful, to the point that Miami didn't need a huge game from Herro, who had 20 (including two fourth quarter threes) and seven turnovers.
Ware nearly had a double double in the first half alone (eight points, 11 rebounds) and finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds and a block in one of the most impressive efforts of his rookie season. The 17 rebounds tied Udonis Haslem and Omer Yurtseven for most rebounds in a game by a Heat rookie.
Davion Mitchell, continuing to inject a spark off the bench, chipped in 12 points, nine assists, four rebounds, a block and a steal and hit two key baskets down the stretch.
Duncan Robinson hit five of his six three-pointers on an 21-point night and had 12 key fourth-quarter points.
Larsson scored all 12 of his points in the first half.
Kyle Anderson continued to fill the box score, contributing eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks and making a handful of big plays in the fourth.
Philadelphia hung around in large part thanks for 29 points from Quentin Grimes.
The Heat, 19-21 at Kaseya Center, finishes its regular season home schedule against Washington at 1 p.m. Sunday.
▪ Injuries to the Heat's best players continued – a sad irony in the post-Jimmy Butler era:
This time, it was Herro returning from a one-game absence and Adebayo and Wiggins sitting out.
After missing six in a row with a hamstring injury, Wiggins participated in shootaround on Monday and seems positioned to return for Wednesday's big game in Chicago.
The Heat's FanDuel Sports Sun telecast reported there's optimism that both Adebayo and Wiggins also will be available Wednesday.
Butler's lack of consistent availability was one of the factors in the Heat bypassing the 2026-27 contract extension he coveted.
But while Wiggins has played in only 15 of 30 games since the trade, Butler has played in 26 of 27 games for the Warriors.
Four different ailments have sidelined Wiggins since joining the Heat - a hamstring, strained ankle, leg contusion and stomach illness.
As for Adebayo, Spoelstra said the spasms began after Saturday's loss to Milwaukee and 'we will treat him day to day.'
▪ The Heat bench, which has been very good over the past eight games (six wins, two losses), continued to give Miami a lift.
Players who are usually reserves almost entirely fueled a 10-0 run in the second quarter and gave Miami a needed spark during that 16-3 fourth quarter surge.
The Heat's first half run featured threes from Highsmith (who started Monday) and Robinson; a beautiful bounce pass from Anderson to a cutting Robinson for a layup; a Mitchell blocked shot and an Anderson pass to Jaime Jaquez Jr for a layup.
In the fourth, Jaquez hit a big three and had a key block; Anderson made several key plays (including two baskets and a lob to Ware for a dunk); Mitchell hit a big driving layup and a three-pointer; and Robinson hit a three and converted a three-point play on a driving layup and foul.
Jaquez (five points, five rebounds) logged 14 minutes after playing just 40 minutes in the Heat's past eight games, including none in the past two.
Heat point guard Terry Rozier was a healthy scratch.
Anderson and Mitchell have helped the Heat's bench become an asset over the past two weeks.
On Monday, the Heat outscored the 76ers with 22 with Mitchell on the court and by 17 with Anderson on the court.
Heading into Monday, the Heat had outscored teams by 59 points with Anderson on the court in Miami's past seven games and by 76 points with Mitchell on the floor in the past eight games.
▪ Ware moved into a tie for third for most double doubles by a rookie in team history.
His 14th on Monday equaled Grant Long's 14 double doubles in Miami's inaugural season (1988-89).
Sherman Douglas had 18 in the Heat's second season and Rony Seikaly had 18 in the Heat's first season. They share the team rookie record in that category.
Ware's 22 double figure rebound games are now two ahead of Seikaly's previous team record of 20.Ware entered 20th in the league in rebounds per 36 minutes at 11.9, a figure ahead of Rudy Gobert, Evan Mobley, Adebayo (10.1) and dozens of others.
His 11 first half rebounds tied Adebayo for most boards by a Heat player in a half this season.
▪ Now the biggest game of the season awaits.
A loss on Wednesday in Chicago (36-42) means the Heat (36-43) almost certainly would finish ninth or 10th in the conference and probably 10th. A 10th place finish would require Miami to win two road games to qualify for the playoffs.
But a Heat win over Chicago - combined with a Cleveland win at home against the Bulls on Tuesday night - would leave Miami needing only wins against the Pelicans and Wizards to claim the ninth seed, at the very least.
Heat wins against Chicago, New Orleans and Washington - combined with a Chicago loss to Cleveland and two Atlanta losses in its last four games - would give Miami the eighth seed.
The Heat has been eliminated from contention for the seventh seed.