The Sixers won 106-102 over the Miami Heat in a game that was as physical as everyone expected. Four technical fouls were handed out, and James “Bloodsport” Johnson tried to intimidate Ben Simmons in a second-quarter skirmish in which the surefire Rookie of the Year only smirked back.
The first three-quarters of the game felt like the old Sixers, the Sixers before their record-breaking winning streak and outstanding 2018 home court performance. It felt like the Sixers of…December. Through the first three quarters, the Sixers had 24 turnovers, mostly unforced, indicative of a lack of focus.