PHILADELPHIA -- The Sixers entered Saturday night's game against the Miami Heat hoping to prove a point.
Their old friend Jimmy Butler was back here in the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers and joining the Heat in a sign-and-trade this offseason. Philadelphia had followed a 5-0 start to the season by going 5-5 over their past 10 games, leading to renewed questions about the way their roster fit together.
But then Saturday night's game began. And, by the time it was over, the Sixers had secured a 113-86 victory over the Heat, one that sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the NBA: they're going to be just fine.