The Miami Heat showed up sharp, steady, and just a little too tough on Sunday night, riding Norman Powell’s 32-point outburst and another monster Kel’el Ware double-double to a 127–117 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
Miami (now winners of four straight) controlled the tempo virtually all night, leaning on balanced scoring and timely bursts whenever the 76ers tried to make things interesting. Powell was electric throughout, slicing his way to the basket, knocking down jumpers, and closing the door late as the Heat finally put the game out of reach.
Ware delivered the kind of stat line that pops off a scoreboard graphic: 20 points and 16 rebounds, owning the paint against a Philly frontcourt missing its anchor. Jaime Jaquez Jr. poured in 22 of his own, and Bam Adebayo added 18, giving Miami a four-headed attack that the Sixers never really solved.
Tyrese Maxey did what Tyrese Maxey does. The NBA’s No. 2 scorer coming into the night (33.4 ppg) followed up his career-high 54-point explosion in Milwaukee with a 27-point showing. He attacked, he probed, he did everything he could to keep Philly attached.
The reigning MVP missed his seventh straight game due to right knee injury management, his 10th absence in the 76ers’ first 16 contests. Without him, Philadelphia had to lean heavily on Andre Drummond, who responded with a throwback night: 14 points and a massive 23 rebounds. Rookie VJ Edgecombe also sat with left calf tightness, thinning the rotation even further.
Despite Miami’s control, Philadelphia kept hanging around, and the building finally came alive early in the fourth. A Trendon Watford layup cut the Heat lead to 105–103 with 8:28 remaining, and suddenly the game had real juice.
The Heat ripped off a 13–2 run, sparked by Powell’s downhill attacks and capped by his running layup at the 4:40 mark to stretch the lead back to 13. That surge flattened the momentum Philly had built and served as the night’s final turning point. From there, Miami closed the game like a veteran team on a roll.
Although the Sixers couldn’t snag the win, the night carried plenty of nostalgia. Philadelphia honored the 25-year anniversary of the 2001 Eastern Conference championship team, wearing the iconic black Iverson-era jerseys.
Allen Iverson himself — the star and MVP of that run — was courtside. And former Sixer Theo Ratliff, who anchored that squad to a 41–14 start before being traded for Dikembe Mutombo, rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell pregame.
The vibes were vintage. The result, less so. Heat: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. 76ers: Host the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.
