Come on now.
I picked the Philadelphia 76ers to win the series over the Miami Heat in six, but there was not a chance they sweep the Heat. That thought was erased when Dwyane Wade led the Heat to a 113-103 win over the Sixers; the series is now 1-1.
One of the biggest mistakes we make as sports fans is reading to much into what happens in game one of a series. Everybody always overreacts. Heat lost by 27 in game one; they won game two. The unlikely hero was Wade, who had 28 points in 26 minutes, and big moments when the Heat needed it. Now it is a series, or has it always been a series. Again, I will be shocked if these two teams don’t go six games.
This series is the most intriguing one as mentioned; now you have added storylines as game three is set. Sixers center Joel Embiid shared his frustration on an Instagram story post after the game two loss. Comedian Kevin Hart getting in the mix, with jawing action during the game with Wade then tweeting postgame adding icing on the cake
The Heat had to win game two especially with Embiid missing the second game in a row. Heat ended the 76ers 17 game winning streak.
“It’s just in my DNA,” Wade said. “I love the stage.”
The 36-year-old and three-time NBA champion with the Heat bounced around the last two seasons with questionable stops in Chicago and Cleveland, shared he took his talents back to the Heat for moments like this. Wade made 11 of 17 shots raising the swagger meter in the second quarter and icing the Sixers in the fourth.
The Sixers lost for the first time since March 13 to Indiana. They won 16 straight to end the regular season and the first game of the playoffs and played their 10th straight game without Embiid.
“You need Joel Embiid,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
Embiid went on Instagram after the game and wrote, “F***ing sick and tired of being babied.”
Sixers could have used him just for moral as they were down 16 early. Even without Embiid, the Sixers cut the lead to two points late in the fourth.
But it was Wade who had added motivation.
Philly native and Hollywood comedian star Kevin Hart rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell and sat courtside a few seats down from Allen Iverson.
Wade said he was motivated by Hart’s trash talk. “To be able to hush a crowd, that’s a great feeling,” Wade said.
Wade’s wife Gabrielle Union hinted at a playoff reward when he arrived home from the road trip.
Now come on home baby, I got somethin' for ya #GrownASF
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 17, 2018
Game 3 is Thursday, and Game 4 is Saturday in Miami.
