Sixers' Cold Streak From Deep Continues in Game 2 vs. Miami Heat

Following a disappointing second-half showing in Game 1, which resulted in a loss, the Philadelphia 76ers looked to bounce back and steal a win on the road against the Miami Heat.

Going into the matchup, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers mentioned that while he thought his team played well in the first outing, shots simply weren’t falling as they attempted to take advantage of open looks — especially from beyond the arc.

In the first quarter of action on Wednesday, the Sixers' struggles from deep didn’t dissolve. As they attempted five shots from beyond the arc, Danny Green’s one make was the only three that went down for Philadelphia in the opening quarter.

Meanwhile, the Heat continued knocking down their threes with confidence. Through the first 12 minutes of action, the Sixers were outscored 31-24.

The Sixers bounced back in the second quarter despite getting off to a less than desirable start. Although they were outscored, a 12-point showing from James Harden helped the Sixers remain within single digits at halftime after being down by as many as 14 points. 

Entering the second half, the Heat didn’t slow down. As their All-Star forward Jimmy Butler knocked down four of his seven shots from the field for 12 points, Miami outscored the Sixers 31-28. While Philadelphia’s deep shooting struggles continued in the second half, the second-year guard Tyrese Maxey gave the 76ers life.

In the third quarter, Maxey made all three of his shots, scoring six points. When the fourth quarter rolled around, Maxey continued producing for the Sixers. In his final ten minutes on the court, Maxey hit on three of his five field-goal attempts and knocked down all four of his free throws, accounting for ten of the Sixers’ 23 fourth-quarter points.

However, another high-percentage shooting quarter from the Heat kept the lead out of reach for Philadelphia. When it was all said and done, the Heat put the Sixers out once again with a significant 119-103 victory. Once again, struggles from deep prevented the Sixers from becoming a real threat to the Heat on Wednesday as they hit on just 26-percent of their threes.

With Wednesday’s loss, the Sixers fall to 0-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals series. Now, they’ll head back to Philadelphia for the next two games with hopes that the Sixers’ five-time All-Star Joel Embiid can be cleared for action so he can re-join his teammates. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.