A Ben Simmons Triple-Double Put The Heat On The Brink In A Fierce Game 4

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers are now on the precipice of surviving their first round series against the Miami Heat. The young Sixers went down to Miami after a split at home and took both road games, including a thrilling 106-102 game on Saturday afternoon.

Simmons had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, good for his first career playoff triple-double. The favorite for Rookie of the Year honors became the first rookie to net a playoff triple-double since Magic Johnson managed the feat in 1980.

Much like Game 3 it was a physical affair. At one point, a scuffle saw two Heat players leave injured and drew double technical fouls for Simmons and James Johnson. There was blood and shoving and a lot of sloppy basketball, the kind of play that you get when both teams have the proverbial pedal to the floor for 48 minutes.

But the constant on Saturday afternoon was Simmons, relentlessly finding ways to get to the hoop while being a menace on the defensive end.

Joel Embiid had 14 points and 12 boards on the day, and he continued to fight his mask as much as anyone on the floor. Check out this block while the mask was on his forehead, a dangerous decision for someone who is still recovering from a broken orbital bone.

Embiid was scolded by Sixers coach Brett Brown later in the game for trying to play without the mask on at all. It was a bit of levity in a game that was fierce from the start.

JJ Redick led the Sixers with 24 points, while Miami’s Hassan Whiteside had a bit of a bounce-back game after complaining about his role in Game 3. Whiteside finished with 14 points in 26 minutes. Miami led at the half but the Sixers took a 6-point lead into the game’s final minutes. A triumphant Simmons dunk make it a 3-point game with just over a minute to go after Dwyane Wade had cut it to one inside.

Wade had 11 in the fourth quarter and 25 on the night, including this classic basket down the stretch to keep Miami close.

But it was Miami’s defense that struggled down the stretch, unable to maintain Simmons and keep pace with a tough Sixers team that kept finding routes to the basket.

The win sets up a do-or-die Game 5 for Miami back in Philadelphia on Tuesday in what could be Wade’s last ever game. The way the last two games have played out, it would be a shame if this series were to only last that long.