Sixers - Heat Game Three - Masked and Gutty

 > Joel Embiid wearing a mask and nursing a thumb is still one of the best defensive bigs on the planet, and a major reason why the Heat and Bam Adebayo were cracking backboards all night. If he keep recovering, and 18/11 is a mighty fine floor, this is a series. If he goes out again, it's not. Pretty simple, really. And his defensive energy late, in a game where he probably played too many minutes, was encouraging. 

> This game will be remembered for the fourth quarter of Maxey Time, and if the kid ever put together entire game stretches, he'd be the best guard in the league. Just electric in the open court and adorable everywhere. You can get a little frustrating waiting for him to go off, but he pretty much does every game.

> Another good first half from James Harden, followed by another disappearing act in the second, but when Maxey is going off, yes, James, disappear. He's been getting into pretty regular foul trouble, just another thing that happens when you get older and the refs don't give you nearly as many breaks. I'm hoping the man is managing his conditions and doing what he can to fill the tank, but if ever a man needed to go full plant-based and humorless, it might be James. Which is just a shame, because he's so weird and original in every other way, but it's a very hard game played by athletic maniacs.

> I know this is just what happens in playoff basketball, but how many dirtbags play for the Heat? Between Trent Tucker, who in no way resembled a basketball player, and Kyle Lowry, they made ESPN serenade rockhead plays and dirty bullspit all over the floor, and the pace of this game was interminable. Seriously, eff these guys. If this is what winning playoff basketball is about, we need to officiate this game differently.

> Danny Green remains an absurd collection of positive and negative. Tonight he was good from the arc and insane in lots of other places. You can manage him when he's the former, but he's still the weirdest wing ever, honestly.

> First time in seemingly months where Matisse Thybulle had good moments, but the Heat still rode Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro for vast stretches. If they can get him back to playable it's a help, because it's not as if this team is deep.

> You should not be able to use a borderline straight arm. After six games of watching Pascal Siakam do this nonsense, honestly, enough -- and the fact that the refs got to blow the call twice after a challenge was special.

> For the Heat, just a rock fight of a game, with a near season-low. Some of that is Embiid and some of that is hard effort by the other Sixers, but they still missed a lot of makable shots tonight. They probably aren't thrilled right now, but they also might not be too worried.

> Miami showed one of their weaknesses tonight -- too many soldiers, not enough generals. In a road game where they could have put the hammer down, only Butler and Herro played well, with Adebayo in particular coming up small against opposition. It's nice to have a bunch of guys who can make threes when the luck is running, but when the air gets tight? Not so much. The Sixers' 4th best player, Tobias Harris, was totally fine tonight. The Heat's 4th best player was... I have no idea.

Next game is Sunday night, where the Sixers try to tie the series and put the fear of God into both Heat fans. I think they'll probably spit the bit because they have been a terrible home team much of the year, but it's not hard to imagine Better Joel in two more days after a concussion. See you there then.