With a 99-90 win in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series, the Miami Heat sent the Philadelphia 76ers on vacation and reached the semifinals Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
The third quarter was decisive in this meeting when the Heat limited their opponents to only 15 points. It must be said that the 76ers had shot themselves in the foot very early in the game by losing the services of Danny Green. The veteran injured his left knee in the first quarter after colliding with teammate Joel Embiid. He will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to judge the extent of the damage.
Once again, Jimmy Butler was the 76ers’ executioner with 32 points. The surprising Max Strus also did well with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds.
So it’s over for the Toronto Raptors’ first-round takers. Philadelphia and its stars tried to hold off favorites in the East, but Embiid and Tyrese Maxey’s 20 points each weren’t enough.
The Heat will face the winner of the duel between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics in the next round. The defending NBA champions lead this series 3-2.
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