Three reasons the Sixers won in overtime against the Miami Heat

The 76ers and Miami Heat played one of the more entertaining games of the year, despite both teams’ being depleted because of health and safety protocols and injuries. The Sixers had 10 available players and played eight, while the Heat had just eight players.

Both teams played hard, if not at times poorly, in the Sixers’ 137-134 overtime win. Here are the three reasons the Sixers prevailed.

It seemed in the first half that Embiid wasn’t as engaged, but in the third quarter, he simply took over. Embiid has the ability to take over against any team, but on a Heat team missing center Bam Adebayo and former Sixer Jimmy Butler, among others, there was little resistance.

In the third quarter, Embiid scored 20 points and hit all eight of his field-goal attempts. Here is one of his drives, using a classic Euro step to dunk over rookie Precious Achuwa.

Embiid also had 11 points in overtime, making one tough shot after another.

He said there was a point in the game, when the Sixers trailed by 13 in the third quarter, that he had to take over. With 45 points, 16 rebounds and five steals, this was a night when he was simply unstoppable.

During Monday’s 112-94 loss at Atlanta, Green was 0-for-7 from three-point range. He has been inconsistent, but he had his best game by far this season with 29 points and tied the Sixers’ single-game record with nine three-pointers, set by Dana Barros in 1995.

Green shot 9-for-21 from beyond the arc, and more importantly, he played 49 minutes and 49 seconds on the second game of a back-to-back. The 33-year-old Green had played 28:10 in Atlanta.

In looking at all nine threes, he scored in a variety of ways, including three made shots off the dribble. As with most accomplished shooters, he has a quick release.

Who would have thought that two of the Sixers’ heroes 12 games into the season would be Dakota Mathias and Isaiah Joe?

Mathias hit his lone shot, a three-pointer with 26.6 seconds left in overtime that gave the Sixers the lead for good, 134-132.

Joe scored 13 points, hitting 4 of 10 from three-point range.

Joe is a second-round draft choice from Arkansas, and his calling card has always been his shooting. He’s not bashful. In the last three games, when he has received most of his playing time, Joe has hit 11 of 28 three-pointers (39.2%).